ABOUT ME | My Site 2

ABOUT ME

I was born in Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. I grew up in the 70's and 80's there and then moved to Chicago for medical school in 1996. I went on to become an Emergency Physician and when I finished my residency training in 2004 I had hoped to come home.

I was given several job offers in Honolulu, but they literally paid only half of what I was able to earn in Chicago. With my student debt, if I had gone home, I would not be able to pay off my loans, save for my retirement, and buy a home, so I ended up staying with the plan to get out of debt, save some money, and go home later.

Eventually I realized that it wasn't a realistic goal. Home prices have increased exponentially to the point that a very basic, entry level house in honolulu is running $1.3 million. Physician pay in Hawaii is still paltry compared to the pay on the continent and I still have to save quite a bit before I can retire.

Now it seems pretty clear to me that while I will still visit every year, it does not make financial sense for me to try to live in Hawaii again. The cost of living is so high that even doctors get "priced out of paradise" and that is why I have a lot of empathy for people who are struggling to get by in Hawaii.