06/06/2026
"You're a doctor. You must be rich."
I've heard this statement many times over the years.
And every time, I smile.
Not because it's true.
But because I understand why people think that way.
People see the years after we become doctors.
They don't see:
📚 The years spent studying while friends were already earning an income.
🌙 The countless nights on call.
🏥 The weekends, public holidays and birthdays missed.
😴 The chronic sleep deprivation that becomes part of the job.
🍽️ The meals skipped because a patient needed attention.
💊 The times we neglect our own health while caring for everyone else's.
📖 The examinations, courses and endless learning required just to stay current.
💰 The student loans, professional fees, insurance and licensing costs.
Even today, many doctors are still paying for:
✔️Clinic overheads
✔️Staff salaries
✔️Medical equipment
✔️Insurance
✔️Licensing fees
✔️Continuous medical education
Being a doctor is a comfortable profession, and I am grateful for what it has given me.
But "comfortable" and "rich" are not necessarily the same thing.
The greatest reward of this profession has never been the income.
It is the privilege of watching a premature baby grow into a healthy child.
It is the relief on a parent's face when their child recovers.
It is the trust families place in us during some of their most vulnerable moments.
So no, I don't feel rich.
But when I think about the lives I've been allowed to touch, the children I've watched grow, and the families who still remember me years later...
I do feel fortunate.
And perhaps that is a different kind of wealth.
