When it’s time to retire: Notes from the afterlife

Abstract

At the end of the Second World War, the US birth rate peaked at nearly 27 births per 1,000 population–a rate unparalleled in the previous 3 decades, and one that would not be repeated. That Boomer generation is now retiring. How do those of us caught in the wave feel about stepping back? Who will step in to replace us? And how will we replace the loss of purpose and fulfillment that comes from a career in medicine? A lengthening life expectancy has challenged many of us to consider the “second act” to our adult life. This essay describes the emotional turbulence of ending one career and contemplating the next.