A 29-year-old family medicine doctor, Eric Chan, is pursuing aviation medicine as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, combining medical training with a lifelong passion for flight. He is completing residency in Alaska under a Financial Assistance Program that provides stipend and a service commitment, while continuing to pursue flying in his spare time. Chan has built a substantial nest egg—about $1.2 million—by saving aggressively and living frugally, planning to invest for long-term financial independence. He expects total compensation during his service to run roughly between $150,000 and $175,000 with housing allowances, and he hopes aviation medicine will become his niche even if it means a short-term pay cut. Looking ahead, he aims to maintain savings and investments to eventually work part-time to spend more time with family and return to flying.
Dive Deeper:
Chan earned a private pilot’s license after about 75 hours of flight time and celebrated by taking his parents on a flight around Houston.
He finished a three-year family medicine residency in Anchorage, Alaska, and will enter a flight medicine role in the Air Force, where the title reflects care for pilots and air crew rather than in-flight surgery.
As part of the Air Force Financial Assistance Program, he receives an annual grant and a monthly living stipend in exchange for a three-year service commitment after residency.
His household income, with his wife’s earnings as a personal trainer, totals about $160,000 per year, and he has managed to accumulate roughly $1.2 million across brokerage, savings, and retirement accounts with no student debt.
Chan notes Alaska’s higher cost of living, especially for housing and gas, but emphasizes living below their means and prioritizing investments, including bulk shopping and cooking at home to maintain savings.
He recently completed his family medicine board exam, viewing it as possibly his last standardized test, and envisions a long-term goal of financial independence enabling part-time work and more time for family and hobbies, including a return to flying.
After completing four months of Air Force training and a subsequent assignment in South Korea, Chan and his wife may eventually split time between Alaska and other locations once the service obligation ends.