If I'm being honest, I am terrified to go public with this website — which means it's probably a good thing. So why am I doing it?
It's a similar feeling to what I experienced before I posted my first YouTube video (linked below). Initially, I was worried about what people might think of me. I knew the video was far from perfect (like, really far), but I published it anyway — and it was liberating. My fear was unfounded. My family, friends, and colleagues were all supportive. Best of all, it was helpful to others, which is the reason I'm doing this in the first place.
I felt inspired to start a blog and YouTube channel after watching one of Ali Abdaal's videos (for those of you who don't know, Ali is a Medical Doctor in the UK who also has a large following for his advice on productivity, business, and other stuff. He became a millionaire while still a medical student at Cambridge). He talked about how as a student he would ask his attendings if they would continue practicing medicine if they had won the lottery – a significant number of them said they wouldn't, or they would decrease their hours. As a first year medical student, I find this concerning, to say the least. I’ve committed to a career in which many individuals would choose to quit or work less despite at least 8 years of intense training, sacrifice, and debt. This led Ali to stress the importance of having multiple streams of income and financial independence — and this resonated with me.
Many of the physicians who told Ali they would quit or decrease hours are burnt out. I don't know the statistics, but many physicians rely almost entirely on the income that they receive from providing medical care. They lack financial freedom. What if they had money coming in from other places (aka multiple streams of income)? It could take loads of pressure off of them. Also, in my opinion, they'd be more likely to do things for the sake of the patient and not for the sake of making an extra buck. Don't get me wrong – that is not meant to be a jab at physicians, it's just one sad reality of the healthcare system.
What I’m trying to say is that if I can have financial freedom, then I could feel free choose a specialty that I truly enjoy without having to stress as much about how much it pays on average, and ultimately be an even better doctor for my future patients. With less pressure to work, I could spend more quality time with my family and be a better husband, father, son, and community member.
I would also love to write a book one day. What about? No idea. But I think it'd be cool. Writing these posts on a regular basis is a great way to flex my writing muscles and get some reps in.
The blog will go hand-in-hand with my YouTube channel. My goal is to write posts and create videos that can help others at no cost to them while generating income on the backend as a content creator. As I pursue this endeavor, I want to bring others along with me. In my posts, I’ll be as transparent as possible and share my numbers with anyone who’s interested. If you have questions, please reach out! If you’re receiving this via email, then you can reply to this message directly. Otherwise, check out my contact info here.
This is only the beginning. I'm excited to see where this goes.
Let's get after it.