A Doctor’s Financial Reflections on Residency

If I could hop in a time machine, here's how I would fine-tune my financial decisions during my residency years to build a stronger foundation for the future:

📉Keep housing costs low

Aim to spend less than 25% of my gross income unlike the hefty 40% I parted with during residency.

📉Share the space, share the cost

If I wanted a nicer apartment, having a roommate to split the bill would have been smart.

📉Furnish frugally

Opt for sturdy second-hand furniture instead of buying new to save a good chunk.

📉Tackle credit card debt head-on

I'd aggressively pay down any credit card debt with the money saved.

📉Travel smart, widely, and solo

Set aside a fixed budget for travel adventures.

📉Drive savings further

Choose a reliable second-hand car over a brand-new ride.

📉 Maximize employer benefits

Invest in the employer-sponsored 401K, at least up to the match contribution, to grow my nest egg.

📉 Resist the flashy car allure

Opting for a $25K car that had everything I needed instead of a $40K one right after training could have saved a lot. The "I deserve it" mindset is not a reason for overspending.

I could have had anything, but by reaching for everything, I wound up with much less.

Yet, amidst the financial missteps, there were some wise moves:

📈Diving into personal finance knowledge

Reading up on personal finance was a smart investment in itself.

📈Track to cut back

Forming a habit of tracking expenses kept me aware and in control.

📈Skip the homeowner hustle

Choosing not to buy a house was a prudent decision that spared me additional financial stress.

#MedSocial30

Pick any medical specialty other than your own. Who’s the most famous physician in it? You probably can’t name one.
Almost none of us will be known outside our field, and even those who achieve real professional fame are mostly forgotten within a few decades.
Fame is a poor ife to medicine. The work itself matters more: caring for patients, discovering new knowledge, and teaching the next generation.

We teach together: Casey Albin (@caseyalbin), Jessica Goldstein, and Rohit Marawar (@rohitmarawar). #NDEC #Neurology #MedEd

Something big is coming. Save the date: the first NDEC Conference, April 30, 2027 — right before AAN in DC.

#NDEC #Neurology #MedEd

Session 1 of NDESP Cohort 4 is officially underway.

We opened with a fifteen-minute icebreaker: make a neuron, any medium, one shared prompt. Fast, low-stakes, and a good way to find your people early. Look at how creative our scholars are!

#NDEC #Neurology #MedEd #NDESP

This is my @OpenAI codex use history, I used 1.6B tokens in total.

I don't know how to code manually. It helped me to build a lot of things for our medical students and #MedEd research. I only subscribed to Plus, which is 20$ per month.

The opportunities is vast.

@rohitmarawar discusses how to lead smarter every day with digital tools — apply now to discover how to simplify workflows, boost team communication, and reclaim time for strategic work.

#ndec #meded #neurology #childneurology

So grateful to be part of an incredible group of neurology educators. Want to join our community? Visit our website or drop us a DM, we’d love to connect!

@neurobuckets @caseyalbin @OligoclonalBand @ShakingPaulsy @Jstrelz
@RGottliebSmith @kuntal_sen_ @rohitmarawar @abcMD2010

How do you use AI as a leader? Learn practical strategies to lead with AI—apply today!

#ndec #meded #neurology #childneurology #leadership

Our recent systematic review found that studies reported predictable answer-key patterns in AI-generated MCQs.

One study found the correct answer was frequently placed in option C. Another found clustering in option B.

Small detail but a big testing issue. For more, read the access.

Big news! 🚨 We're excited to expand our program to residents and fellows! This year's cohort is sponsored by @NowyouknowNeuro. Ready to learn how to use digital tools? Apply today on ndec.institute

#ndec #meded #neurology #childneurology

It was an honor to present this session with Dr. Kolachalama and Dr. Kedar.

@NDECinstitute 30-day challenge demonstrates that building a network on social media is driven by consistency, not luck.

#AANAM

Interested in what AI can do for you as a leader and as a neurologist? Where does it shine and where has it not moved the needle?

Find out from two of our talks today. @AANmember #AANAM

Sunday talks from all our NDEC educators. #AANAM 2026

Excited for #AANAM2026! @AANmember

Catch me talking AI in Teaching, Clinical Neurology & Leadership — something for every physician

🎓 Digital educators: join us at the Conversation Corner (Academic Hub) on improving your CV

📋 Students & residents: Trainee Hub talk on Personalere!

Fantastic post on the Neurology Digital Education Collaborative on the @GreenJournal Education blog!

Mon, 3 pm, Innovation Hub at #AANAM, some of us will talk about the @NDECinstitute. Others will discuss AI & education in W196a right after. Join us!

neurology.org/media/blog-pos…

How to pack for a professional conference

All this using only 1 carry-on + 1 personal item, no checked luggage 🙂

Work with @TrudyWuMD

Med friends -- I'm releasing 🔵 Pearls, an app I built for capturing clinical pearls while on rounds or studying.

Once you add a pearl, an AI agent will automatically fetch additional context, latest guidelines, and augment the pearl.

Other features: free sync between devices, e.

More broadly, I'm exploring some ideas on how LLMs can improve the ability of residents to absorb and retain higher amounts of information; this is one small practical exploration of those ideas.

Great point @hyguruprep

Those of us who are invested in and passionate about digital education are nodding their heads together 🙂‍↕️

If you’re filling out your residency application, don’t overlook digital work.

Built a social media following?
Created posts or resources that teach?

That counts. Add it to your ERAS application.

Social media is the wave of the future, and digital scholarship can now influence the masses.