Practice Management

From flight surgeon to investor: a doctor’s guide to financial freedom

Physician
February 5, 2026

In a valuable episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, sat down with Dr. David Yanoff, an orthopedic surgeon with a career spanning the Air Force, private practice across several states, and innovative financial ventures. Dr. Yanoff shared insights from his diverse medical journey, his entrepreneurial approach to finance, and strategies for transitioning smoothly into retirement, valuable lessons for any physician navigating …

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Hidden financial dangers of wRVU thresholds in medical employment agreements [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 26, 2026
YouTube video

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Health care attorney Dennis Hursh discusses his article “wRVU threshold risks in physician contracts.” Dennis explains the critical distinction between a guaranteed salary and a draw against future earnings where failure to …

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A 6-step framework for new health care leaders

Physician
January 21, 2026

Assuming a new health care leadership role is both exciting and daunting. Even in the best circumstances, new leaders must navigate a complex web of expectations, relationships, and organizational priorities.

Drawing on over 30 years of health care leadership experience, we have observed that while new leaders bring enthusiasm and vision, they often encounter predictable obstacles. Many receive little to no formal leadership training, leaving them without a structured approach to …

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Physician coaching: a path to sustainable medicine

Physician
January 4, 2026

Perhaps you are standing in the same place I once stood: From the outside, everything looks great, but on the inside, you’re running on fumes.

In my mid-40s, I was on the verge of becoming a full professor. Our dream house was under construction. My retirement plan was on track so I could stop working before 60. Our kids were grown and thriving, launching their own lives. On paper, life was …

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From law to medicine: Witnessing trauma on the Pacific Coast Highway

Physician
January 1, 2026

An excerpt from Wipe Out, Rise Up: A Surf Session In Being a Leader, Pushing Past Limits, and Sustaining Health. Copyright © 2024 Scott Ellner. Published by BrightRay Publishing. All rights reserved.

Growing up in Southern California, I was well-acquainted with the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Cold water from Alaska flowed down the coast, meeting the warm, sunny climate of Los Angeles, roasted by the heat of the Santa …

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Physician non-compete clauses: a barrier to patient access

Physician
December 28, 2025

Patients rarely see the contracts behind their care, but physicians feel them every day. And one contract clause in particular (the non-compete) is quietly worsening the physician shortage and blocking patients from seeing the very doctors who want to care for them.

I learned this firsthand.

After serving as a neurologist and EEG medical director in Portsmouth, Virginia, I was forced out of my role under a two-year non-compete. The restriction forbids …

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Leadership buy-in is the key to preventing burnout [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 21, 2025
YouTube video

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Physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey and counselor Shari Morin-Degel discuss their article, “Why burnout prevention starts with leadership.” Shari shares her personal journey from a trauma-exposed mental health professional to …

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Physician asset protection: a guide to entity strategy

Finance
December 20, 2025

A few years ago, I met a talented internist who had been practicing for 15 years. She owned a small clinic, worked long hours, and ran a thriving patient base, but when we reviewed her financials, I realized she’d been paying far more in taxes and taking far more risk than she needed to.

Her response was one I hear often: “Clint, I’m not a businessperson; I’m a doctor.”

It’s a mindset …

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Why physician business literacy matters

Physician
December 13, 2025

Most physicians practicing medicine today were trained to diagnose and treat patients, not to navigate one of the most complex industries in the world, an industry characterized by ever-changing payer contracts, evolving reimbursement structures, complex and sometimes mystifying coding, and challenging operational realities. Despite the lack of training, these same physicians and providers are leading multimillion-dollar businesses and are expected by their health systems to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and …

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Why malpractice insurance isn’t enough

Finance
December 12, 2025

A few months ago, I received a call from a frustrated surgeon.

It wasn’t about a malpractice claim; he was covered there. The problem was that his teenage son had totaled the family car. Nobody was seriously hurt, thankfully, but the other driver’s attorney was already sniffing around his assets. He told me, “Clint, this can’t touch my house or savings, right? I have medical malpractice insurance.”

That’s when I had to …

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How to navigate private equity in medicine

Finance
December 2, 2025

In a valuable episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, welcomed two guests who have navigated a common trend in independent medicine today: private equity. Dr. Steve Hamilton, sports medicine physician and orthopedic surgeon at Beacon Orthopedics, and Andy Blankemeyer, CEO of Beacon and OrthoAlliance, shared their firsthand experiences with practice growth, private equity partnerships, and what physicians should consider when approached …

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wRVU threshold risks in physician contracts

Finance
November 30, 2025

Many physicians do not seem to grasp the risks inherent in physician employment agreements that impose a minimum threshold of wRVU production. However, there can be many pitfalls in these agreements.

What is the effect of the threshold?

The first pitfall is determining the effect of a threshold. Some agreements provide a salary “assuming a minimum threshold of” some number of wRVUs. I have reviewed many agreements with a provision like that …

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Why being your own financial planner is costing you millions [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 26, 2025
YouTube video

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Certified financial planner Michelle Neiswender discusses her article, “Why physicians should not be their own financial planner.” Michelle explains why physicians, despite being brilliant, often make costly financial mistakes when managing their …

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How your past shapes the way you lead

Physician
November 20, 2025

Leadership is often discussed in broad strokes: some leaders are structured and precise, while others are flexible and improvisational. But behind those visible styles lie quiet personal and generational histories, the emotional terrain that shaped how we learned safety, trust, and control. I’ve come to see that these histories profoundly influence how we lead and how we’re perceived as leaders, especially in health care, where the stakes are high and …

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Interdisciplinary medicine: lessons from the cockpit

Physician
November 19, 2025

In aviation, the right seat is typically reserved for the instructor. In medicine, it’s the role of the diagnostician, the mentor, the gatekeeper. I once piloted a T-37B “Tweet” trainer from the right seat, not as a student, but as someone trusted to guide. That experience shaped how I approach clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary fluency, and the choreography of care.

During a military training program, our squad faced a simulated obstacle: an …

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A financial vision to define your retirement [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 18, 2025
YouTube video

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Certified financial planners Michael Lynch and Alisa Olsen discuss their article “Create your own financial vision for independence,” an excerpt from their book Taking Care of Your Future: Your Simple System for …

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Is owning a medical practice worth the ultimate financial risk? [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 17, 2025
YouTube video

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Certified financial planner Paul Morton discusses his article “Physician practice ownership: risks, rewards, and reality.” Paul breaks down the massive differences between an employed physician’s financial journey and that of an equity …

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An attorney’s guide to your first physician contract [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 15, 2025
YouTube video

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Health attorney Dennis Hursh discusses his article “First physician employment agreement mistakes.” Dennis shares his amazement after 30 years in health law at the timidity of new attending physicians during contract negotiations. …

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Physician entrepreneurship and financial freedom

Finance
November 11, 2025

In a unique episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, sat down with a resident, although not your typical resident! Dr. Wendell Cole, an orthopedic surgery resident at the time, is also a fellow podcaster, author, and entrepreneur. Despite being in the early stages of his medical career, Dr. Cole had already built a track record of innovation and initiative. His story …

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How new physicians can build their career

Finance
October 24, 2025

Introduction

In a recent episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, welcomed Dr. Michael Ast, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstruction and joint replacement surgery. Beyond being an accomplished clinician at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York, Dr. Ast also lectures often on business and career issues, and is especially passionate about teaching younger physicians how to build their practices …

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