We get asked all the time by ER doctors: “How much do I need to retire?” Surprisingly, the answer to that is actually, “You’re asking the wrong question.”

The real question is: How do you build a career and financial structure that doesn’t just pay you—but frees you? Assets are only half the equation; the other half is designing a life and financial plan that isn’t entirely dependent on you showing up for shifts, scales beyond your hours in the hospital, and ultimately lets you choose when—and how—you step away.