Ep. 216 Military Medicine to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth Outside the OR with Dr. Schloe

In this episode of the BOSS Business of Surgery Series, Dr. Vertrees sits down with Dr. Alex Schloe, Air Force veteran, family medicine physician, and host of the Physicians and Properties podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation on financial freedom, real estate, and practicing medicine on your own terms. Dr. Schloe shares his path through military medicine via the HPSP scholarship, his experience training and serving as the sole physician at an Air Force base, and how that preparation shaped his confidence as both a clinician and leader. From there, the conversation turns to entrepreneurship—starting with his first rental property purchased during intern year using a physician loan and evolving into a diversified real estate portfolio. A major focus of the episode is residential assisted living—a boutique, high-quality care model that addresses the massive shortage of senior housing while offering strong cash-flow opportunities for physicians. Dr. Schloe breaks down multiple investment strategies, including his lease-to-operator model, which generates consistent income without day-to-day operational burden. The discussion also dives into direct primary care, healthcare affordability, and how insurance-based systems distort patient care. Dr. Schloe shares a powerful patient case illustrating how cost barriers delay life-saving diagnoses—and why DPC offers a compelling alternative for both doctors and patients. Finally, Dr. Schloe explains why mastermind communities, coaching, and accountability are critical accelerators for physicians looking to build wealth and optionality outside traditional clinical roles. This episode is a must-listen for physicians who want more agency, better alignment, and real choices in how they practice medicine and live their lives.