Emma Jones MD · Physician Burnout
Not the vague "I was miserable" cost. The actual dollar figure.
I did this calculation on myself. The retirement account I wasn't building while I was running on fumes. The income gap from the years I was underperforming and didn't even know it. The path I almost took — six months off, credit card debt, looking for literally anything else to do with my life.
When I finally added it up, I sat with it for a long time.
This calculator runs three scenarios side by side: what your financial picture looks like if you fix your burnout and stay the course, what it looks like after six months off and a fresh start somewhere new, and what it looks like if you walk away from medicine entirely.
No judgment on any of those paths. But you should know the numbers before you decide.
Adjust the sliders to match your situation. The gaps will surprise you.
How would you fund the 6 months off?
Credit card debt at 22% APR — total cost of borrowing is spread across your repayment period.
Annual net income — all three scenarios
Cumulative income gap vs. scenario A (fixed burnout)
Ready to stop calculating
what you almost lost?
THRIVE is the cohort program where physicians do the actual work of unlearning burnout — and building the practice and life they came here for.
Join the THRIVE priority listThis calculator uses estimated figures for illustrative purposes only. Individual results vary based on specialty, geography, debt structure, investment returns, and other factors. 401K growth modeled at 7% annual return. Credit card APR assumed at 22%. Student loan annual cost estimated on a 10-year repayment schedule at 6% interest. This is not financial advice.
