Prioritize personal health, financial independence on the path to retirement
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SAN FRANCISCO — It important for ophthalmologist to reflect on how to design their own pathway to retirement, according to Tamara R. Fountain, MD.
During a presentation at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, Fountain explained that many options are available for retirement, and reaching retirement age means something different for every physician. While some physicians may choose to retire early, others may continue working full- or part-time. Giving up surgery or selling a practice to take on a role as an employee can decrease stress levels on the road to retirement, Fountain said.
Remote work can also be an option for retirement.
“While working from home may not be feasible for most of us, there are ways we can use our medical skills in a work from home situation,” she said.
Additionally, physicians can also choose to pursue volunteer opportunities.
“I just came back a month ago from my first ever mission trip with Orbis, and it really changed me. I think, as I enter my pathway, that I am going to try to be open to the options that are available to me,” she said.
Fountain offered the audience advice similar to what she told her adult children when they started their journey into independent life — taking care of one’s health, seeking financial independence, valuing relationships, developing resilience and always seeking meaning in life are all important.
“Even though I am in a different stage [in life], and my challenges are different than theirs are, nonetheless, there is so much universal overlap,” she said.
The median male aged 65 years will live to the age of 87, and the average woman aged 65 years will live to age 89, according to the Society of Actuaries.
“That is 20 plus years — a whole lifetime — that we have still ahead of us,” she said.
Fountain concluded the presentation by quoting English poet William Ernest Henley.
“No matter what stage of our life, we are all the masters of our fate and the captains of our soul, and it is only we who can determine our next steps,” she said.
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Fountain TR. Practice transition: What steps can we take to ease the path to retirement? Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Nov. 3-6, 2023; San Francisco.
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