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Many PAs & NPs, especially those with significant student loan debt, follow the common financial advice to pay off all student loan debt as quickly as possible post-graduation. Some medical professionals feel shame surrounding their debt burdens, and desire to clear this balance as quickly as possible. Others are interested in the increased monthly cashflow they would have available without a student loan payment. Despite these benefits, there is significant cost associated this approach. In this article I will walk you through the math of following this common advice as a PA-C or NP, and why it might not be the best choice for you. 

Bonus Opportunity for Deeper Learning

If you’re the kind of PA or NP who wants to make smarter financial moves (without just following advice made for the general public) you’ll love what we’re diving into at our Multiply Your Medical Income Summit.

We’re unpacking real strategies around compensation models, student loans, and wealth building that act...

You graduate. You pass your boards. You land the job.
That six-figure paycheck hits—and then... reality sets in.

If you’re a brand new PA, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
It’s not quite the dream you imagined. Expenses feel overwhelming. Loans are looming. And you’re wondering, “Wait… where did my paycheck go?”

Let’s walk through exactly what you should be doing in your first year of practice to get your money right.

Why Generic Budget Rules Don’t Work for PAs

You’ve probably heard of those 50/30/20 budgeting rules:

• 50% to needs
  
• 30% to wants
  
• 20% to savings/investing
  

I hate those.

They’re made for the masses—not for people like us.
If I followed that rule? I wouldn’t be a millionaire by 31. I needed a lot more than 20% going toward debt and wealth-building.

What you really need is a cash flow system that helps you grow your net worth—not just track your spending.

Inside the Millionaires in Medicine Club, I break down exactly how to do this with a free tracker you c...

Yep, you read that right. It's totally possible to turn your kid into a future millionaire—without needing to throw in hundreds of thousands.

I’m doing it with just a few thousand dollars and a lot of intention. And in this blog, I’ll show you exactly how:
👉 The accounts we use
👉 The money system we teach our 3-year-old
👉 And the mindset shifts that actually matter more than the money

Let’s break it all down.

Our Four-Bucket Money System for Kids

You’ve probably heard of the classic give-save-spend system for teaching kids about money.

I hate it.

Why? Because it completely ignores investing—arguably the most important pillar of long-term wealth.

So instead, we created our own version: Give, Save, Spend, and Invest.

Every Sunday, our 3-year-old gets her allowance in quarters (supervised, of course), and she gets to divide those coins between her four jars.

To make the “invest” jar feel real, we created a visual thermometer tracker for her investing goals, broken into:

• 🎓 Coll...

If you’re a pharmacist and you’ve been told to “just pay off your student loans first,” we need to talk.

Because if you’re like most of the PharmDs I work with (drowning in six figures of debt and feeling like you’ll never catch up) you’ve probably been sold the wrong plan.

I’m not here to tell you debt doesn’t matter. But I am here to tell you: debt payoff alone won’t make you wealthy.

You Need More Than a Student Loan Plan

Here’s the deal. Most people approach student loans and investing separately. But the smartest pharmacists I know have one cohesive strategy that does both and builds net worth 10x faster.

You can’t just think about what’s cheapest this month. You need to think long-term: What will your plan cost you over decades?

Let me show you what I mean.

PSLF vs. Taxable Loan Forgiveness (Why It Matters So Much)

If you're a clinical pharmacist working in a nonprofit or academic setting, chances are you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). And if you're i...

If you’re a PA, NP, or pharmacist and think wealth building is only for people in higher-paying specialties or dual-income households with no debt—this blog is for you.

The truth? It’s 100% possible to become a multi-millionaire with a six-figure income, even if you’re working in primary care, living in a high cost-of-living area, or just starting out. How do we know? Because we’ve helped medical professionals just like you do exactly that.

Below are five real client case studies to show you what’s possible with the right systems, strategy, and support.

CASE 1: Kelly, a Primary Care PA, Married to an RN

Challenge: Lower-paying specialty + early 30s with limited investments
Goals: Reduce hours when they start a family, retire early with flexibility

What We Did:

• Optimized their PSLF strategy to save $600/month on student loan payments
• Reallocated that money into an investing system
• Completely overhauled their account structure and monthly contributions

Result:
Kelly and her sp...

If you're a PA, NP, or pharmacist and you've ever thought, "Personal finance is just too complicated for me," you're not alone. That’s exactly what most of us are conditioned to believe.

But here's the truth: learning to manage your own money could save you more than $1.5 million in your lifetime. I know this because I’ve lived it.

My Story: From Student Debt to Seven Figures

When I graduated as a critical care PA, I had $161,000 in student loans and zero assets. Like many new grads, I was eager to "do the right thing", so I hired a financial advisor and opened a Roth IRA through Edward Jones.

It felt like I was checking all the right boxes. But years later, I realized I had paid thousands in fees without even realizing it: fees that were quietly dragging down my returns.

Once I learned to manage my portfolio myself, everything changed. Less than a decade later, I hit $1 million in net worth at age 31.

The Cost of Not Learning Personal Finance

Most medical professionals fall int...

When I first became a PA, I thought hitting $1 million in net worth would mean I “made it.”

But now that I’ve actually crossed that milestone, and helped hundreds of medical professionals do the same. I can tell you this:

A million dollars isn’t enough.
If you want to retire comfortably (or early), reduce your clinical hours, or stop working when your health is still good, you’ll probably need $3–4 million or more.

Let’s break down why that number matters, and how I built wealth faster than most people thought possible.

Why $1M Won’t Cut It Anymore

Here’s what most people don’t realize:

If you retire with $1 million, and use the standard 4% withdrawal rule, that gives you just $40,000/year to live on. Not exactly luxurious.

Now add inflation into the mix.
What feels like enough today won’t go nearly as far by the time we’re 65.

Example:

At 35 years old, if I spend about $70K/year, I’d need $3.7M by age 65 to maintain that lifestyle.
(That’s the inflation-adjusted cost.)

So no…...

How Medical Professionals Can Earn $10K+ a Year in Passive Income (Without Working More)

What if your money could work harder, so you don’t have to?

Whether your goal is an extra $10K, $20K, or $50K/year, building passive income as a PA, NP, pharmacist, or physician is 100% possible. But not all passive income streams are created equal.

In this post, we’re breaking down the top 3 cash-flowing investment strategies that medical professionals are using in 2025 to earn more: without picking up extra shifts.

1. Dividends from the Stock Market – True Passive Income

Barrier to entry: Low
Truly passive: ✅
Tax advantages: ✅ (qualified dividends = long-term capital gains rate)

But here’s the catch:

To earn $50K/year from dividends, you’d need to invest $1 million at a 5% dividend yield. Most people can’t do that in the early wealth-building years.

  This is the easiest place to start. Open a brokerage through Fidelity, Vanguard, or Schwab and invest in ETFs and index funds that pay divi...

Why Your Healthspan Might End Before Retirement (and What to Do About It)

Most medical professionals expect to retire around age 65, but what if your body doesn't make it that far?

In the U.S., the average lifespan is 78, but the average healthspan is only 63. That means most people become too tired, immobile, or unhealthy to enjoy their lives before they stop working.

If you're planning to wait until 65 to live your best life, you might already be running out of time.

So what's the solution?

You build wealth before your health fades. And that means understanding three powerful money strategies that allow you to:

• Work fewer hours
• Retire early
• Actually enjoy the time you've earned

Let's break down each strategy.

Coast FIRE: Invest Aggressively, Then Coast

Coast FIRE means front-loading your investments early so they can grow on their own. Once you hit your "coast" number, you no longer need to actively invest.

Your money keeps compounding, even if you:

• Reduce hours
• S...

As a PA-C and money expert,, I’ve worked with thousands of medical professionals who are trying to juggle busy lives, growing careers, and massive student loans. But there’s one thing my husband and I started doing years ago that changed everything in our relationship and our finances:

We started having quarterly money dates.

It’s not just about budgets. It’s about alignment, goal setting, and long-term wealth building…. together.

What Is a Money Date (And Why Every Couple Needs One)?

A money date is a structured yet relaxed time to check in with your partner about money without distractions or stress. It’s a chance to:

• Celebrate financial wins
  
• Review spending & progress
  
• Set clear, intentional goals
  
• Avoid miscommunication about money
  
• Stay on the same page (and build real wealth)
  

And when done right? It turns “you and me” into a financially unstoppable we.

How Often Should You Do It?

Quarterly is ideal. Once every 90 days keeps things on track without being overwhelmin...