Go Retire Psychiatrist

A feature of phased retirement is that I’ve still got a foot in both worlds–the world of chasing all over the hospital as a consulting psychiatrist and the world of retirement. Maybe it’s more like flying through a wormhole vortex between two dimensions. I’ve been off service for months and will be back in the saddle starting this coming Monday. That means I’ll be going back to work in my role as a psychiatric consultant in the general hospital. I’ll be at 50% time and this is the last phase.

Have I been bored? Believe it or not, boredom was less intense this phase. I’ve dealt with this sometimes by finding things to do that seems a lot like–trying to find stuff to do. This includes learning how to fold fitted sheets.

This is only one of 3 fitted sheet folding videos. Of course you should see it done faster, especially if you’re going to qualify for the international Folding Fitted Sheets competition-in Brussels this year, I think.

You get it. On the other hand, it was also a way for me to find out that I sort of like making silly videos. And hey, my wife likes my folding fitted sheets skill. It’s now one of my regular household chores. The linen closet is so much neater.

Preparing for retirement is not all fun and games, on any level. But it never hurts to keep a sense of humor.

I’m a retiring Consultation-Liaison (C-L) Psychiatrist and this blog is a chronicle about my transition from being a physician to–what? I’m not exactly sure, but I’ll find out. I won’t be offering financial advice about how to prepare for retirement. There are plenty of experts out there for that; I’m not one of them. I’m just evolving like anyone else.

I’ve been a doctor for long enough that I’m a bit rusty about doing much of anything else. Just ask my wife. No, wait; don’t do that. I know a lot about being a C-L psychiatrist. In fact, I’m not done with it. I’m in a phased retirement contract with my employer. This is my final year. I’ll be fully retired as of June 30, 2020. For the next year, my days will be a lot like what they’ve been for years. After that–who knows?

That’s really what my days are like in the hospital, believe it or not. It has some good points. I get pretty regular exercise, running all over the hospital, climbing the stairs and whatnot. I see a lot of interesting people and I have loved teaching medical students and residents.

There may be some out there who remember that I used to have another WordPress blog called The Practical C-L Psychiatrist. It’s gone. It didn’t fit my life anymore since retirement is coming up fast on the horizon.

Anyway, I’ll be posting about my changing life for the next year. I’m still not sure if I’ll keep the site after I fully retire. I’m just hoping that, for now, this public journal will help me adjust to the life change and that some of you come along for the ride.