ABSTRACT
People who care about helping others have historically been drawn to medicine and healthcare. I started on a path toward medical school and an accident while working as a volunteer firefighter on a glorious Sunday afternoon in 1979 thwarted those plans. I found I could still be involved in the business of healthcare in other ways instead of standing at the operating table. Most physicians desire clinical autonomy, enjoy collegial relationships with other practitioners, take pride in their work, bring home a good income, and revel in creativity and flexibility when they establish a private practice. Those who work for others sometimes grumble and complain that these rewards are sometimes stifled as an employee, but they realize they traded security for their freedoms.
