Docs Outside The Box

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Most people can point to one year that changed everything. For me that year was 2012. I finished my trauma surgery fellowship in Miami. Had a contract negotiation go sideways when a trauma director yelled at me over the phone. Called Renee. She said one sentence. And then I went silent. That silence changed my l...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! A first-year dental student posted a video on Instagram that stopped me cold. He's run out of federal funding. He's run out of private funding. He started a GoFundMe just to stay in school. The culprit: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. And here's why this felt so personal. This didn't happen t...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Twenty years after medical school, I went back to Kansas City with Renee and our boys. Walking through the place where it all began brought back memories of my father driving me there from New Jersey, the first time I was rejected from medical school, and the life I could never have planned... In this episode, I...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! A first year general surgery resident slid into my DMs after our previous episode on how GHANA MADE ME BETTER . She’d been following the show for almost 10 years, and she had one question: “How can I best start preparing for global surgery, especially in places like Ghana?” That question deserved more than a sim...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In just a few days, we leave for Ghana, and this year, our boys are coming with us. This is our 14th year doing humanitarian work at KNUST University Hospital in Kumasi with International Healthcare Volunteers. Before we board that plane, we’re talking about what humanitarian medicine actually looks like. Not th...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! We got married in our thirties. Started IVF in the middle of paying off $700,000 in student loan debt. And Nii was working locums shifts several states away — the very thing funding our fertility journey was also making it harder. This is the episode we've never been able to fully tell. Until now. You'...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Nearly 50,000 people watched our co-parenting reel and asked the same question: "Why don't you just get a nanny?" People expected us to have full-time help. We don't. Not because we can't afford it. Because we made a different choice. In this episode, Nii and Renee pull back the curtain...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! You didn't match. Now what? Every year, roughly 7% of U.S. medical students don't match into residency. If you're one of them, you're not alone—and this isn't the end. Reddit Question We're Answering: "M4 here. Didn't match into the only specialty I cared about. No backup...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In this episode, we share our honest struggle with fitness as first-generation doctors - from not being able to run a mile in residency to building a consistent 5-6 day per week workout habit using the Atomic Habits framework. You'll hear: Why Nii couldn't run a mile by year 3 of surgery residency (and...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Two first-gen doctors answer your real questions: How to open a business bank account, and whether starting Medical school at 40 is still possible.  This week's Q&A covers two questions that represent completely different stages of the first-gen doctor journey: a neurology resident finishing training an...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In this episode, we share our complete story - how we went from $662,000 in medical school debt to completely debt-free in just three years, as first-generation doctors without any family financial blueprint. You'll hear: Why we accrued over $100,000 in interest (and how to avoid it) The exact moment we dec...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! This episode hits EVERY corner of healthcare. Medical students, residents, nursing students, and attendings.  We’re diving deep into:  1. The Department of Education’s classification of nursing as not a professional degree  ● What does this actually mean?  ● Does it affect student loans?  ● Will this change the...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In this episode, we’re diving deep into:  1. Wale’s new album. Is it worth playing in the OR?  A quick, fun review: focus, vibe, and OR compatibility.   2. HSA Deadline Reminder. LAST MONTH to contribute  We’re making ours… are you? If you’re a med student, resident, or attending in a high deductible plan, this...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In this episode we're discussing a life update which is renting out part of our home + kitchen renovations we are doing. We are breaking down the financial lessons we’re learning as a physician household with tenants.  FREE DOWNLOAD -  7 Considerations Before Starting Locum Tenens - https://darkos.lpages.co...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! We answer a listener who asks how to know if locums is the right move and whether they’re truly ready for independence. We break down confidence, clinical readiness, and the mindset shift needed to succeed as a 1099 physician. This episode hits home for:  ● Medical students  ● Residents & fellows  ● Attendin...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! The Affordable Care Act marketplace is facing a massive premium spike in 2026 — and Congress is running out of time to stop it. In this episode of Docs Outside The Box , Dr. Nii and Dr. Renee break down exactly why ACA premiums are increasing, what happens if Congress does nothing, and how this will impact: Medi...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! We tackle a raw listener question about carrying $520k in med school debt, feeling guilty about pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and navigating first‑gen family expectations. We break down what PSLF really is, why it exists, and how to compare it against traditional and accelerated payoff paths. FREE DO...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox Have a question for the podcast? Text us at 833-230-2860 In this episode, we paid a tribute to D’Angelo whose albums like Brown Sugar and Voodoo shaped our teenage years. We also talked about how slow jams are no longer there, and the split be...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox Have a question for the podcast? Text us at 833-230-2860 In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the five financial moves that created real change in our lives....no fluff, no hype, just the systems and decisions that actually stuck. We d...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox Have a question for the podcast? Text us at 833-230-2860 We help a graduating resident weigh a bold plan of using locums to pay down $478k in student loans while planning a sustainable U.S.–Ghana travel rhythm. If you’re a physician considerin...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Drs. Nii and Renée do a semi-ok job at explaining the difference between 1099 independent contracting and W2 employment. Dr. Renée runs down the ways in which we give up control of our careers to others. Then the docs meet long-standing listener, Jamar Cromwell, to give him advice as a non-traditional pre-med. T...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! 0:01 Should Married Couples Combine Finances? 8:50 Financial Planning in Relationships 16:32 Financial Transparency in Marriage 20:54 Financial Involvement in Relationships 28:29 The Benefits of Combining Finances 32:27 Navigating Financial Disparities in Marriage https://www.doximity.com/articles/736a778f-eba2-...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox Have a question for the podcast? Text us at 833-230-2860 In this episode, we share our experiences from our recent medical mission trip to Ghana. We also discussed a medical resident who was caught performing unauthorized genital ultrasounds i...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox Have a question for the podcast? Text us at 833-230-2860 In this episode, we answer a question from our listener who is considering a locums position but is having mom guilt and wants to know how other women do it. Dr. Renée opens up about her...

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! In this episode, Renee & Nii discuss how the common forms of debt (student loans, consumer debt, mortgage) keep you stuck in the rat race and burnt out! Things to expect in this episode: Renee clarifies how much she really owed the IRS The Top 10 Medical Schools that keep their students in the highest debts...