I think the title of this talk is inaccurate; it should be called “What I want to do when I grow up!” One advantage of living as long as I have is that we know the good old days may not have been quite that good, as we tend to repress unpleasant experiences. Similarly, the “ideal life in retirement” when one gives up the daily stresses of pediatric radiology practice will also have its bumps.

In fact, if we do not plan for this segment of our lives (realistically it may average 20 years) we may be very disappointed. One of my good friends, Bill Schey, flunked retirement and is now enjoying his continued involvement with pediatric radiology and teaching in a limited way.

The senior citizens I know tell me the most important part of a successful life after work is understanding how you will fill the newly available 50–60 h every week. What do you have fun at and, more important, how much fun can you take?

In Webster’s dictionary, retirement literally means “having withdrawn from active life.” This is followed by “leading a quiet life, separated, apart, isolated.” My concept is quite different from this definition, so let’s dump the term “retirement.” Let us define the next stage as an active life, doing what we like best or want to try—it is a new chapter with a new lifestyle.

For some of us this may mean complete separation from a professional life of 30+ years: being passionate about new challenges and beginning over. To those of us who choose this course, we must plan well for what we realistically can do. The planning process is a family decision with important parts of the plan (location, networking, finances, etc.) taking place during the 5–10 years before we fully activate the plan. What options do we have if this really is not what we want? As with all great adventures, plans B, C, and D are crucial to success.

We must consider important variables as we start over. Where are most of our friends? Has our profession become a nidus for ongoing social events and doing things with friends? Who are our best friends? Are they the people we meet each year at the SPR and other professional meetings? How do these friends fit into our new life? If we move, what about our old friends? When we abruptly change our lifestyle and goals, who do we impact the most—both positively and negatively?

It is likely that a complete, abrupt change is not what most of us anticipate or desire. In fact, I really like what I do and suspect most of you do also. Therefore, a relative and realistic cutting back would be the desired goal. For many of us, pediatric radiology is our avocation as well as our job. One of my mentors was Kent Ellis of Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. I met him after he retired, and I asked him if he missed teaching. He said he needed to keep up if he were to work, and to him this meant reading several hours of journals each evening. This is a good example of how our professional life infiltrated our personal life and consumed most of our time. Most of us would not be so consumed with our new lifestyle.

When practicing, the limiting factor is time—in retirement, we have plenty of time and the challenge is filling it with satisfying activities. David Baker told me that he really liked playing golf but what enabled him to do this was the 2 days he spent teaching medical students. Teaching gave him a focus and continued to satisfy his need for doing something purposeful. I suggest in our new chapter and new lifestyle we continue to feel we are doing worthwhile work—not all the time or even most of the time—but some part of our time. Charles Gooding likes to work with Habitat for Humanity to build houses—part-time. Walter Berdon limits his activities to rounding in the ICU and teaching the medical students, whom he says “are the only medical group with an open mind.” Walter and Guido Currarino are still teaching and writing papers. Ed Singleton teaches medical students, and he loves it.

If you are contemplating working part-time with your group or teaching or doing special projects, you must plan ahead. Talk with your partners, chairmen, or deans to actually define what you want to do. This will make it easier when the time comes to slow down. In these negotiations, money always becomes an issue. I may not be popular when I say this but the issue for us adapting to a new lifestyle is not money; we want and need a role, a place to add value. Your young colleagues need to send their kids to college and, therefore, need the money. You need a place to contribute and you want to see your old friends at the hospital. There is a win-win arrangement in these negotiations.

According to SCORCH surveys, pediatric radiologists earn enough so that, I believe, when you alter your lifestyle you should have enough—you are earning more than 95% of the U.S. population. It is your job to make sure that you save (pensions, etc.) and I strongly recommend you consult with a financial adviser on what you need to do to prepare for the retirement chapter. However, money should not be your limiting factor. The challenge is deciding what you want to do while you are healthy and have the time.

Planning is crucial because a major concern is the unexpected. Are your kids and grandkids ever off your payroll? They may incur the unexpected layoff or illness. Can you prepare for these problems after you stop full-time work? Probably not, so this must be considered before your lifestyle change. Trust funds, gifts, and insurance policies might be considered while you are still a high-earner.

As we grow older, we must understand the 4-min mile is no longer attainable!! Can you really plan for health issues? Certainly, you have health insurance, but what is necessary is much more—the comfort of familiarity with healthcare providers and facilities and having a support group. Spousal illness and loss after 30+ years is devastating, and we all need help when this occurs. While everyone is somewhat different, thinking through the issues, putting together a game plan will, in fact, make the unexpected more manageable.

A new lifestyle—a new chapter—can and will be spectacular if approached with thought, realistic planning with spousal buy-in, and the flexibility to deal with the unexpected. The thought process and planning should begin in our working years, so we can maximize our new lifestyle.