Hey everyone, I’m Austin, the founder of Rehab Wealth Project.
If you are a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist, you probably know the exact feeling of looking at your student loan balance and feeling a massive pit in your stomach.
When I graduated in 2016, I was staring down $170,000 in student debt. The anxiety and panic were overwhelming. I took a job at a high-volume outpatient clinic and quickly realized I felt like a slave to the position. Between the crushing debt and the endless grind of productivity metrics, I knew I had to find a way to achieve real financial freedom.
So, I went to work. Over the next few years, I bounced around almost every setting imaginable, working in outpatient, schools, home health, and acute care. I picked up travel contracts, juggled multiple PRN shifts, and cut out every single unnecessary expense. It was an intense grind, but four years later, that $180,000 balance was completely gone.
Once the weight of that debt was off my shoulders, I wanted to figure out how to actually make my money work for me. I didn't hire a high-priced advisor. Instead, I went to my local library and checked out every book on investing I could find. I listened to podcasts, read blogs, and spent hours scouring the IRS website to understand the rules of the game. Platforms like the White Coat Investor and ChooseFI became my blueprints.
What I discovered changed everything. Building wealth didn't require a secret, complicated formula. For us, it came down to aggressive but simple investing. We relied on core index funds, maximized traditional retirement accounts, and utilized smart tax optimization. Nothing fancy.
The real secret weapon was how my wife and I defined our values. We realized we didn't care about material possessions or keeping up with the neighbors. We valued our time, making memories, going on adventures, and sharing experiences. Focusing heavily on what actually brought us joy made the financial math a lot easier to solve.
A few years later, my wife finished her medical residency, and our savings accelerated even faster. Today, we have built enough passive income that I’ve been able to step back from the clinic, working just two days a week. The rest of my time is spent focusing on our young kids and building this project.
If you are currently feeling trapped in a downward spiral of high productivity demands, declining patient care quality, and a stagnant salary, I want you to know that you are not stuck. I have been exactly where you are standing right now.
The path I took to reclaim my life is simple, though it is definitely not the most popular or conventional route. It requires making deliberate choices, and it might not be the right fit for everyone. But if you want a straightforward, practical roadmap to take back your time and fund the life you actually want to live, you are in the right place.
Welcome to the Rehab Wealth Project. Let's build a community and figure this out together.