MIT Educated Neurosurgeon who quit his job

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I just watched the following video:

I Was An MIT Educated Neurosurgeon Now I'm Unemployed And Alone In The Mountains How Did I Get Here?

Following is another neurosurgeon’s comments on the video:

“I’m a Neurosurgeon and I Quit” | Spine Surgeon Reacts

Following are some viewer comments on the first video:

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I have a PhD from MIT, 1998 geophysics. I was working at Hopkins in a big data group. I started feeling like this about science, like it isn't healing the world, it's just chasing government grants. I got chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors said I was "just depressed." So I quit my job, stopped sitting at a desk, sold my house, figured out how to heal myself, stopped stressing, started believing in something greater than myself, got better, moved west. Now I'm a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Just got backyard chickens. Life is more meaningful. Feeling better all the time. I understand.

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My grandfather taught me, at 15, " learn two jobs, one with your mind, one with your hands... At 35, I walked away from corporate & became a carpenter. Retired & very happy.

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I’m a Neurosurgeon.

The industry is corrupt. I never caved in. People may say I don’t operate enough but I don’t care. I continue to strive to serve my patients. I educate them about preventive medicine and non surgical treatments.

Patients with chronic pain should check out Dr.Sarno’s work. Check out the movie “This may hurt”.

Much pain is in the brain.

The emotional brain is real. I encourage

Breath work, Emotional release, Meditation, Diet, Sleep etc.

My patients get better.

God bless.

There are definite indications where Surgery should be performed. Please do not misunderstand the above comments. The right tool should be applied when necessary. The patient is always paramount.

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Dr Goobie, you just fixed the roof for millions of people. Thank you.

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After 20 years as a government I.T. network engineer working long stressful hours I remembered what my first boss said 20 years earlier. Suddenly one day he tossed me his keys and said "One day you will wake up, look in the mirror and not like what you see! Don't wait as long as I did." He walked out and never looked back. I packed up, walk out, moved on and became a Flight instructor then 15 years flying for WildFire Air Attack in Canada. Instead of sitting infront of Microsoft Windows I flew in Cessna Windows. The best decision I ever made. Healthy & Happy at 66

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I probably watch too much YouTube because it scratches my itch about so many things. So I say with some viewing experience that this is the best YouTube video I’ve ever watched. So humble. So wise. So insightful. So conscientious. So honest. And so much more. You, Sir, are not just a Doctor. You are an incredible human being. So inspirational.

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Medical professional here... walked away after 40 years of high stress 24/7... sold everything and lived off the grid. Immediate happiness and content... I'm still here.

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I left a career in project management and engineering from Tesla at 36 years old. I was burnt out from working 12 hrs days, 6 days per week. I had symptoms of chest pain, chronic indigestion, chronic back pain, poor sleep habits, depression...The list goes on. When I left that job I moved in with parents, I started eating healthy again. I started working out consistently. I started getting 6 hours of sleep, then 7, then 8. I started working on things that I enjoyed. It look me 12 months to heal, but thanks to my amazing parents, I am back on my feet and ready to be a productive member of society. This gentleman speaks is the truth. The power to heal is within yourself. In my case, I couldn't have done it without my parents love and encouragement. Thank you Mom and Dad, I have beyond lucky to have you in my life.

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Wow!! It hit home for me. I spent 30 years as a fire medic. Saw a lot of human misery. Saw and treated every kind of trauma, suicide, cardiac issues, strokes and many things you can't think of. The new kids hiring on had no work ethic, no brotherhood, entitlement. The hospital ER staff was becoming more angry and arrogant. I was very unhappy. Gain weight. Acquired 3 herniated discs. Saw a spine surgeon regularly. Had 2 knee surgeries.

I walked away from the career. Lost 30 lbs. Sleep all night, every night. Changed my diet. No stress. Do what I want, when I want with no set schedule. After 2 years. No more back issues. No more knee issues. No need for knee replacement now.

Another similar video follows with some viewer comments.

I Was a High Earning Doctor Now I'm Unemployed Travelling Hippie How Did I Get Here?

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I was an RN for 30 years and walked away from a well paying job, but the last 5 years were miserable. i quit my job with no plans. I moved across the country and lived in a van for several months. I found a small, rural town to move to. I gave my license up and have never been happier. I live in a pretty poor area and am now considered low income, but have never been happier. I am doing what I want.

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I knew someone who became a general practitioner MD. He hated it even though he opened his own clinic, worked his own hours and made good money. All his life he simply wanted the title of "doctor" in front of his name. He wasn't married and didn't even have a big house. One day he took a vacation in SE Asia wanting to get away from western society. He stayed for almost six months learning the culinary arts of Thai, Cantonese and Vietnamese dishes and eventually switched to being a chef and catering wherever he was needed in SE Asia.

I last heard he lives in the villages in Burma and gives free medical check ups to the poor while living his life as a chef in the city. Maybe that was his purpose. Life is funny that way sometimes I guess

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I was a brain surgeon in a most prestigious hospital in London for 27 years, was on call regularly, helped people as much as I can, did continual study and self improvement, had the cars, houses, but no time! I threw all that away and now I have an old RV and travelling the US as a hippy. Source: Trust me bro.

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My comments:

When I was in high school and college I followed a mathematics / physics / chemistry type curriculum but I realized I didn’t really know what a job as a mathematician (or physicist) would be like and sometimes wondered about investing so much time and effort into something when I didn’t really know if it would lead to a job that I would like.

I worked at three different jobs — a couple months on my first job, four years on the second, and 30 years on the third. I didn’t really like my last job, it was filled with frustrations, but I wasn’t at all sure I could find another that I liked better. Life can be rough, unfair, and even brutal. (I am not that great optimist who believes there are great opportunities just around the corner.) The job had its positives and negatives, and I was concerned that in changing there was a danger of “jumping from the frying pan into the fire”. I stuck with it, sometimes through frustrating times, but at the same time, emphasized living frugally, saving money, and investing. I didn’t trust the stock market, didn’t trust myself in investing in stocks, and so invested mostly in real estate. I did well in that. I however, dreamed of self-sufficient country living. See Self-sufficient Country Living. But I felt the most prudent route was sticking with my job.

That is life! Life is often not what some dreamer might imagine. You learn what really is through doing and experience.

See A fact of life: It is a messed up world!

I have a number of times asked myself, if I had it all to do over again, would I do things differently. I try to think of all of the many different occupations one can go into and wonder if there are any I think I would have really loved. School teacher? Policeman? Military? I am sure I would not like being a teacher or a policeman. Probably not military either. I usually end up deciding I would probably do things the same way I did. Life is never perfect. There will always be frustrations. You can’t expect too much. A college degree in a scientific field is a big help in finding a good job. It is prudent to separate yourself from the masses with a college degree in a good field.

I think the life I would like best is a self-sufficient life in the country. I have a 16 foot by 24 foot cabin up in the mountains where I think I could live on a couple thousand a year. See On how little cash income can one live? But that doesn’t include medical insurance. And I think it is highly imprudent not to have medical insurance. And medical insurance is expensive. It is by far the biggest expense we have (much more than our food or utilities bills).

11 Dec 2024