🎙️ 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗿. 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗼𝗲.

💡 What if the biggest “wealth skill” physicians never get taught isn’t investing… but negotiation, leadership, and thinking like a CEO—so you can practice medicine with autonomy, purpose, and peace?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Amy Vertrees—a board-certified general surgeon, Army veteran (17 years, 3 deployments), former Lieutenant Colonel, private practice surgeon, author, and founder of the Boss Business of Surgery series.

Amy shares what it’s really like doing surgery downrange with limited resources (no CT, no laparoscopy, no robot), the leadership lessons the military forces you to learn fast, and the powerful mindset shift physicians need after training: stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like the CEO of your career.

We also go deep into negotiation—how she used principles from Never Split the Difference to increase her pay per RVU, why keeping emotions out of negotiations matters, and how knowing your value changes everything.

This episode is for the physician who wants more than “just surviving” medicine—who wants to lead, negotiate, and build a career that actually fits their life.

🔥 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:
✔️ The difference between military med school (USUHS) and scholarship routes (HPSP)
✔️ What deployed surgery really looks like: limited tools, high stakes, rapid triage
✔️ How the military builds leadership through responsibility, early and often
✔️ Why “we were told we could do it… so we became capable of doing it” is a life-changing framework
✔️ The whiplash of combat medicine: intense stabilization → evacuation → little closure
✔️ Why money doesn’t fix misalignment (and how autonomy + meaning matter more)
✔️ Negotiation basics: know your value, keep it calm, and don’t trigger emotion
✔️ Tactics from Never Split the Difference (stalling the number, anchoring, conversational tone)
✔️ The CEO vs employee mindset—and how it changes how you solve problems
✔️ Emotional capacity: how naming your emotions precisely helps you lead yourself (and avoid burnout)

🔥 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
✅ Know what you offer + know your number. Confidence comes from clarity.
✅ Negotiation isn’t combat—it’s a calm conversation that lowers emotional threat.
✅ Thinking like a CEO means you stop asking “What are the rules?” and start asking “What are my options?”
✅ A raise can feel good… but autonomy, purpose, and alignment are what actually sustain you.
✅ Emotional capacity is a physician skill: when you can name the feeling, you’ve already started solving the problem.
✅ Your career is a business—whether you treat it that way or not.

Financial freedom might be a few properties away… but disability can wipe out the plan overnight if you’re not protected. Get a free disability quote today at: Leveragerx.com/physiciansandproperties

If you want to learn how investing in real estate can give you the freedom to practice medicine and live life how you want then check out the links below:

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How To Think Like A CEO Physician And Escape The Employee Trap With Dr. Amy Vertrees