Protecting your assets

[agranulocytosis]

I'm sure everyone dreads it. The absolute worst nightmare of any surgeon - a disfiguring hand injury.

Now I know that all is not lost; there are still opportunities to contribute with such an injury in academia. It's just that I refuse to believe anyone goes into surgery without the explicit desire to operate with their hands.

So what sort of protection exists for such an injury? It sure would be interesting to see whether contracts you guys sign as attendings take this into account or not.

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[Winged Scapula]

The contracts will usually stipulate that you purchase or are provided own occupation disability insurance to cover you in just such an event.

 

[SLUser11]

I'm sure everyone dreads it. The absolute worst nightmare of any surgeon - a disfiguring hand injury.

Now I know that all is not lost; there are still opportunities to contribute with such an injury in academia. It's just that I refuse to believe anyone goes into surgery without the explicit desire to operate with their hands.

So what sort of protection exists for such an injury? It sure would be interesting to see whether contracts you guys sign as attendings take this into account or not.

It's extremely important to get good disability insurance. As WS said, this is often included in contracts. Some disability plans only pay out if you can't do anything doctor-related, so it's important to get plan that pays if you can't do your chosen specialty.

As a resident, it's easy to put financial stuff on the back burner since we're so busy, but I recommend setting up your life insurance and disability insurance as soon as possible. The ones you get through your residency are usually pretty weak (e.g. $25K payout life insurance).