MD Passive Income — personal finance written for physicians: contract review, own-occupation disability, PSLF strategy, real-estate syndications, MGMA-sourced compensation benchmarks. Sourced, specialty-aware, no hype.
For physicians, residents & fellows

Personal finance for physicians, by people who've walked the post-residency income jump.

Contract review, signing-bonus benchmarks, PSLF strategy, own-occupation disability insurance, real-estate syndications, and the post-attending mistakes nobody warns you about — sourced, specialty-aware, and written for doctors with no time to waste.

Read: Own-Occupation Disability Coverage → Free Weekly Briefing
📋 Contract clauses, by specialty 📊 MGMA-sourced benchmark data 🩺 Differentiated from generic personal-finance sites

Editor's note (April 2026): This site is being rewritten for our physician audience. New articles will follow the standard set by our Own-Occupation Disability Insurance piece — sourced, specialty-aware, no generic personal-finance hype. Older articles below predate the pivot and are being updated.

The financial decisions that hit early-career physicians all at once

From signing your first attending contract to deciding what to do with a 5–10× income jump and $200k+ in student loans — the work each topic actually requires, and where to start.

📋 Attending Contract Review

The clauses every first attending should negotiate — non-compete radius, RVU floor, malpractice tail, partnership track timing, restrictive covenant carve-outs, and call.

Read the 2026 red-flags checklist →

🛡️ Own-Occupation Disability Insurance

What "true own-occupation" actually means, how to read a policy, and why specialty riders matter for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and procedural specialists.

Read the guide →

🎓 Student-Loan Refinancing for Physicians

How residents, fellows, and attendings should compare Laurel Road, SoFi, Earnest, Splash & ELFI — and the PSLF check to run before you refinance away federal protections.

Read the 2026 guide →

🏠 Real-Estate Syndications for Accredited Physicians

How accredited-investor physician syndications actually work — sponsor due diligence, K-1 tax mechanics, and the cash-on-cash math.

Read the 2026 syndications guide →

📈 Post-Attending Investing

Asset allocation when you finally have income, the 403(b)/457(b)/backdoor Roth stack, and the order of operations after residency.

Start with the 2026 backdoor Roth guide →

🩺 New attending? Start here

The post-residency income jump hits several decisions at once. Work them in this order:

  1. Protect the income — Read own-occupation disability insurance before you sign anything that assumes you will always practice.
  2. Read the contract — Use the 2026 employment-contract red-flags checklist before you countersign.
  3. Do not refinance blindly — Run the PSLF check in our student-loan refinancing guide first.
  4. Then tax & investing stack — Backdoor Roth, then (if accredited) syndications.

Physician-Specific Guides

Written specifically for MDs and DOs — residents, fellows, and attendings. Educational, not financial advice.

4

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts 2026

Compare the best high-yield savings accounts earning 5%+ APY. Let your money work for you with minimal effort—true passive income.

Read Full Guide →
5

Best Dividend Stocks for Passive Income

Educational overview of dividend stocks for passive income. Understand dividend yields, growth stocks, and building a portfolio that pays you monthly.

Read Full Guide →
🆕

How to Build an Email List for Passive Income (2026)

The complete guide to building an email list from scratch and turning it into a passive income engine. Covers platforms, lead magnets, automated sequences, and monetization—including physician-relevant audience building without product-shop CTAs.

Read Full Guide →

Why Read Our Guides?

Research-Backed — Every guide is based on real data, current market conditions, and sourced physician-finance practice and current public references.
Beginner-Friendly — Step-by-step instructions with realistic timelines and startup costs so you know exactly what to expect.
No Hype — We give you honest expectations about income potential, time investment, and difficulty level for every method we cover.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I negotiate in my first attending contract?

Start with non-compete radius and duration, malpractice tail (who pays), RVU floors and definitions, partnership-track timing, termination notice, restrictive covenants, and call. See our 2026 red-flags checklist. Educational only — not legal advice.

Should I refinance student loans as soon as I finish training?

Not before you check PSLF and federal protections. Private refinance can lock you out of IDR and forgiveness paths. Run the decision tree in our student-loan refinancing guide.

What does “true own-occupation” disability insurance mean?

It is a policy definition, not a marketing slogan — specialty riders matter for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other proceduralists. Read own-occupation coverage for physicians.

Can high-income physicians still fund a Roth IRA?

Direct Roth contributions phase out by income, but the backdoor Roth remains available when executed cleanly (watch the pro-rata rule). See our 2026 backdoor Roth guide. Confirm limits with the IRS and your tax pro.

Are real-estate syndications appropriate for physicians?

Only if you meet accredited-investor rules and you diligence the sponsor, fees, and K-1 tax mechanics. Start with syndications for accredited physicians. Not an offer to sell securities.

Where do you get your data?

Guides cite publicly available IRS notices, MGMA/CompHealth-style market ranges where noted, plan documents, and industry references. Figures are educational ranges — not guarantees. See the disclaimer on each article.

Ready for the post-attending money decisions?

Start with the attending checklist, then dig into the guide that matches your next decision.

View Start-Here Order Contract Red Flags →