Most physicians I talk to can tell you their patient panel size, their RVU targets, and their malpractice premium down to the penny.

But ask them these three numbers and you get a blank stare:

1. Your "enough" number. The annual income that covers your actual lifestyle — not the inflated one that crept up during residency-to-attending transition. For most physicians, this is 40-60% lower than what they currently earn. That gap? That's your freedom margin.

2. Your replacement rate. How much of your clinical income could be replaced by investments, real estate, side revenue, or consulting — today? If you started building this 5 years ago, you'd already be part-time. If you start now, you still can be within 3-5 years.

3. Your walk-away date. Not "someday." An actual date. The moment you attach a deadline to early retirement, every financial decision starts filtering through it. Should I buy that lake house? Should I take that extra call weekend? Should I refinance? The date answers everything.

I've coached dozens of physicians through this framework. The ones who actually retire early aren't the highest earners — they're the ones who ran these numbers honestly and built a plan around them.

If you're a physician in your 40s or 50s thinking about this, The Exit Script is where we go deeper.