Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

This physician sent his daughter to private school. But not for the reason you think.

DocG, MD
Finance
February 15, 2018
Share
Tweet
Share

When my children each finished Montessori school, my wife and I researched a bit before choosing the local public option.  My area has extraordinary private schools.  Although high cost, many of these alternatives provide unique and worthwhile twists on traditional education.  We talked extensively with the kids, and after much research, we came to the budgetary friendly decision.  The public school, with somewhat fewer bells and whistles, provided an education on par with the other more costly alternatives.

And this generally worked.  For my son.  He breezed through elementary and took quickly to middle school.  My daughter, however, struggled.   It was less the academics and more the social.  After a particularly difficult year, we decided to pull the plug.  It got so bad that she was having anxiety attacks before leaving for school.  Time to go private.

The upside was that the school we chose was close to our home, very well-regarded, and my daughter already had a few acquaintances there.  The downside, of course, was the price.  Twenty thousand a year.  It’s a painful number for someone who considers themselves so financial independence (FI )minded.  Here I am pouring over the spreadsheets and slaving away to save every cent.  A moment later I’m eschewing the free option and committing to twenty grand for no less than five years.  I mean, there are some in the FIRE community who live off that number!

That’s the crux.  FIRE is great, and worthy, and important.  But it’s not everything.  Your health, your marriage, and your children take precedence.

My daughter comes first.  Yes, there were other options that may have been more economically palatable, but this was the best decision for her.

Six months later, the world is a different place, and my daughter has blossomed.  For the first time in her life, she has regular play dates, and she has more birthday invitations in a few months than in her previous ten years.  She is happy, and open, and thriving.  Her teacher is much more engaged and attuned to her needs.  The kids are relaxed and friendly.  And beside those wonderful points, the school is far advanced in both academics and arts.  I’ve never been so truly impressed.

Shockingly, you would expect that only the wealthy would spend the money to send their kids to such a school.  It’s absolutely the opposite.  A fair share of educated parents live in poorer neighborhoods or rent apartments instead of own.  There are very few flashy cars in line to pick up their kids at the end of the day.

Rich or poor, we have all come to the same conclusion.

This is educational nirvana.

This is something worth breaking the budget for.

“DocG” is a physician who blogs at DiverseFI.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

An ultrasound posted on Instagram. Does a physician have a duty to warn?

February 14, 2018 Kevin 1
…
Next

Ending DACA is a travesty

February 15, 2018 Kevin 9
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
An ultrasound posted on Instagram. Does a physician have a duty to warn?
Next Post >
Ending DACA is a travesty

ADVERTISEMENT

More by DocG, MD

  • Financial independence should be peaceful

    DocG, MD
  • Fads in medicine and in personal finance

    DocG, MD
  • Being a doctor matters less to this physician

    DocG, MD

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • When private physician groups get acquired: Who loses?

    Bimal Massand, MD, MBA
  • Public vs. private medical school: Which should you choose?

    Wall Street Physician, MD
  • Why this physician teaches health policy in medical school

    Kenneth Lin, MD
  • Why teachers aren’t going back to school: a physician’s take

    Bernard Leo Remakus, MD
  • This physician is burned out. But not for the reason you think.

    Anonymous

More in Finance

  • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

    Cheryl Spang
  • 5 blind spots that stall physician wealth

    Johnny Medina, MSc
  • The most overlooked skill in medicine: contract negotiation

    Cynthia Chen-Joea, DO, MPH and Peter Baum, DO
  • The business lesson new doctors must unlearn

    Stanley Liu, MD
  • The hidden impact of denials on health care systems

    Diana Ortiz, JD
  • Why physicians are unlike the “average” investor

    David B. Mandell, JD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

This physician sent his daughter to private school. But not for the reason you think.
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...