Deciding to give up my license was the hardest part of my decision. Paying the license fee and getting my continuing education would be relatively minor expenses. The problem is that it would also require carrying malpractice insurance. That would run me 10-15K/yr and it's just not worth it, so once I stop working in June, I will put my license on inactive status. There is a way to reactivate it but the state website is awful so I'm not entirely clear on the process were I to want to do that. But I think once I'm done, I'm done. I don't see myself practicing again in the future, especially after any extended gap.
Congratulations Steve! I'm just a couple of months out myself so I know the feeling. In my case the exact date is a little fuzzy for reasons I won't go into, mostly having to do with an orderly transition. I'm required to give 30 days notice but I have already given a verbal notice. My desired date is March 31 but I think it might be as late as June 30th.
It would be Walt Disney World for us, but no immediate plans. We actually haven't been there since October 2021 which is the longest we've gone since before we were married and took our first trip together in 1990. I've been somewhat disillusioned with a lot of the recent changes. Also, my wife has had some serious medical issues the past couple of years couple with my 93-year-old mother needing more and more attention. We haven't traveled at all since May 2022 though if all is stable, we will be going to Mexico in just under 2 weeks. If that works out okay, maybe we'll plan our next Disney trip.
Absolutely. That was actually the thing that I mentally had to wrap my head around the most before pulling the trigger. It wasn't the finances. I'll go back to being an average Joe, having to contact a doctor when I need something rather than being able to take care of it myself.Considering your profession, I would be emotional if I were you giving up that license.
I get it. Even though I'm only 59 and hardly an "old timer", I definitely have a lot more of the "old school" mentality than my younger colleagues.Just a little piece of me feels sad when I hear of a doctor retiring. I'm at that age where I'm losing a doctor (to retirement) every 3 or 4 year or so. It's so hard to find a doctor that just "fits" that I hate to lose one.
Deciding to give up my license was the hardest part of my decision. Paying the license fee and getting my continuing education would be relatively minor expenses. The problem is that it would also require carrying malpractice insurance.
Wow, I didn't know that was a thing. In Michigan I am free to just keep an active license and work or not. When I pick up the odd temp job here and there the insurance is provided.
Congratulations and good luck to you.
I had my annual review meeting today and used it as an opportunity to give notice of my retirement.
Wow, I didn't know that was a thing. In Michigan I am free to just keep an active license and work or not. When I pick up the odd temp job here and there the insurance is provided.
Congratulations and good luck to you.
I need to double check on that. I might be wrong.
I had my annual review meeting today and used it as an opportunity to give notice of my retirement. Our contracts require 120 days notice. That would take me to June 12 but they'll most likely make my last day June 8 as that's the end of the pay period.
I will have been at this job for just over 8 years and June 30 would mark 31 years in practice. While many/most doctors work well into their 60's and beyond, I will be retiring 2 months shy of my 60th birthday. Although I love being a doctor and have had a great career, I have never been someone who was defined by my job like many doctors are.
I'm curious to see how I feel once I inactivate my medical license because that's when my career will truly be over. At that point, I will no longer be able to practice medicine in any capacity, even to write a simple prescription for a family member. That will definitely be kind of odd.
Bottom line is that in 4 months I will be officially done.