Today the Physician on Fire published a piece I penned about my first venture into buying a car. My parents had provided a car for me up until then. It was my second year of residency and my old car, an Oldsmobile Delta 88 which my parents drove for many years before giving it to … Read more
Vanessa R. Majeski, General Surgery Award, COMP-NW 2017. Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting the Clinical Specialty Award for General Surgery at the 2017 Graduate Awards Celebration at Western University of Health Science’s College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP-NW). It was amazing to hear all the accomplishments and meet so many wonderful … Read more
My son Brian racing for the University of Oregon Bike Team. One of the biggest complaints I hear when I discuss becoming debt free is the dread of living on a shoestring. We did enough of that in medical school and we don’t want to do it again. Let me make something perfectly clear right … Read more
Most of the doctors I’ve encountered who are financially secure at a young age have one thing in common, they are frugal. They are not cheap and I think that is a big distinction. Cheap is buying a particle board dresser for $60 that may not last more than a few years. Frugal is buying … Read more
Today the Physician on Fire did a very nice review of my book “The Doctors Guide to Eliminating Debt.” If you don’t already own this book, his summary may help you decide if the book is for you. You can read it here. If you are undecided, here is a test: If you have debt, … Read more
We recently laid to rest my uncle, Bud Cochran. He was the last remaining sibling of my grandmother’s generation. He and my grandmother, Virginia, both passed away in 2016 and were the last of Andrew Jackson Cochran’s thirteen children. My great-grandfather was born in 1873 and his last child died in 2016, a span of … Read more
We all can use advice from time to time. Sometimes that advice is about personal finances, Investing, or borrowing. When choosing this person, stay away from financial advisors who have a conflict of interest. The advisor who makes money on your investment decisions is like the pharmaceutical rep who is telling you all about his … Read more
I recently traveled to Spain and took a guided bus tour. I learned during that tour about the work hour restrictions for bus drivers in Spain. It made me think about the lack of work hour restrictions for attending physicians in the United States. We have them for residents, but not attendings. After much thought, … Read more
My oldest son, Brian, is closing on his first house this month and will be moving into his own place soon. I’m proud to say he used good sense and bought something well within his budget and a bonus was having the appraisal come in significantly higher than his purchase price. Many people make a … Read more
My son recently announced his engagement and started an intense period of wedding planning since the wedding was only three months away. I began to reminisce about my wedding and the planning that led up to the big event, which for me was also a three month engagement. In my case, I was away at … Read more
