I realized that the chances of my coworkers putting two and two together were pretty small. First of all, the more I wrote, the more I got used to the idea of sharing my personal details with the world. I also worried that my friends would judge me harshly for my life and money choices if they knew the nitty gritty. Without the anonymity, I worried about running into a coworker in the surgeon lounge who knew how much money I had in my bank account.
I posted freely about our true monthly spending, student debt, and my aggressive initial plan for financial independence. For the first couple of years, I found anonymity really liberating. Why did you decide to write anonymously?įrom early on, I decided to share an uncomfortable amount of information about our finances. I also write about doctor life, general personal finance, and the importance of mindset in generating success. So here on the blog, you can trace my development from a traditional index fund investor in 2018 to an active real estate investor with a growing portfolio of rental properties today. I decided that achieving financial freedom is the single most important key to fulfilling these desires. More freedom to enjoy all the wonders that life has to offer.I looked ahead to the next thirty years and wondered: “What’s next? What other goals and challenges are left to conquer?”Īfter much thought, I realized that I wanted more:
More specifically, it’s about how a well paid yet indebted physician is using real estate to break free from “ golden handcuffs.”Īfter a few years of practice as a surgeon, I felt handcuffed to my job and burnt out. What’s The Darwinian Doctor blog about?Īt its most simple level, The Darwinian Doctor is a blog about my journey to financial independence. I did all my schooling in the northeast then moved to Southern California for residency training.
I grew up on the East Coast in the 1980s in an era dominated by Madonna, the movie E.T., and the fall of the Soviet Union. They’re super cute, but exhausting as well.
I’m married to the wonderful Darwinian Dr-ess and I have two boys. But I’m also a thinker, writer, real estate investor, father, and husband. Here in the US, we define ourselves by what we do for a living, so I guess I’m a surgeon. When I thought of the best format for this identity reveal, I thought it would be fun to interview myself. To celebrate the 100th blog post and the New Year, I’ve decided to reveal my identity. The only people who knew about my writing were my wife (the Darwinian Dr-ess) and a few fellow bloggers and friends. During that time, I’ve written anonymously. I’ve written these posts on a weekly basis since 2018. Hi! My name is Daniel Shin, and I’m The Darwinian Doctor.