Dr. Amar Rewari on the Physician Retirement Timeline in MDLinx

Dr. Amar Rewari was featured in MDLinx in an August 2026 article by Elizabeth Pratt, "The physician retirement timeline you never learned in training: What to do 10, 5, and 1 year out (and today)." The piece lays out a decade-long roadmap for physicians approaching the end of clinical practice, with Dr. Rewari — chief of radiation oncology at Luminis Health and adjunct assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine — contributing guidance at each stage of the timeline.

Ten years out, Dr. Rewari encouraged physicians to imagine retirement rather than simply calculate it. Alongside the expected review of savings, debt, and insurance with a financial professional, he emphasized building interests, relationships, and activities outside of medicine well in advance, which makes the eventual transition far less abrupt.

At the five-year mark, he advised turning that vision into a concrete plan: deciding between a gradual reduction in clinical hours, a move into leadership or teaching, locum or consulting work, or a firm retirement date. He also framed this window as the right moment for succession planning and mentorship, noting that "there can be tremendous satisfaction in intentionally preparing the next generation" rather than departing without a handoff.

With one year to go, Dr. Rewari shifted the focus to logistics — notice requirements, patient transitions, malpractice and tail coverage, benefits, licensing, and credentialing — and recommended putting the shape of post-retirement life on the calendar instead of assuming it will fill itself in. In the final months, he stressed closure: making sure patients and colleagues understand how care will be transferred, closing out professional commitments, and giving oneself permission to recognize that leaving a decades-long career is a significant life event, even when it's entirely by choice.