Status: retired–and proud of it!  Although I used the symmetry of my 60th birthday and 30 years in medicine as the final line in the sand to mark the end of my clinical career, the writing had been on the wall for some time–I was ready to leave, and I was not interested in some kind of scaled down medical work.  My last day of work was December 30, 2015, after which I let my medical license lapse.

But even many months into my new reality, I found the identity of being a physician was harder to shake, perpetuated by dribbling reminders and continued obligations of my medical past: Lawyer’s requests, College updates, returned referral letters, CME invitations, contacts from colleagues, pharmaceutical promotions, CMPA notifications, LinkedIn requests, even the continued requests from friends and neighbors for medical advice.  I found myself asking, “Who am I now?” and “How do I sort that out?”  “What are my goals now?”

Three years later, I can answer those questions easily now, my feet are back on the ground, and I am truly enjoying myself.  Almost every day is my own–I am able to learn and pursue what I want, when I want.  And I have discovered, to my delight, that there is lots out there that interest me–I have reconnected with a level of potential I haven’t felt since before medical school, and now, without the many uncertainties of youth, I can’t say that I have ever had more fun!