That Time a Physician Asked me to Borrow Money

Earlier this year, one of my previous co-workers, a physician, called me out of the blue asking for a favor. I had known him for a few years, as we worked together on and off. I was surprised he called me because we didn’t socialize outside of work. He is about 20 years older than me, and normally preoccupied with his wife and children.

I figured it had to be an emergency so I answered the phone. He said he needed to borrow $65,000 to pay back a debt by the end of the week or he could face some jail time. I was in shock that he was calling me from all people with a request to borrow money. I figured he must be desperate. He told me a story about how his previous physician partner at the prior practice they co-owned had written some bad checks that they were both liable for. And if he didn’t come up with the money by the end of the week he could be going to prison.

I felt really bad for him because he is honestly the nicest guy. So sweet that if you were having a bad day, he would offer to see some of your patients for you. All of the patients and staff love him. So, I couldn’t imagine him going to prison.

His story about his partner doing bad things was believable, considering I am from Miami and there is medical fraud there all of the time. He said due to the problems with the previous practice, his credit is bad so he can’t take out a personal loan. He had been expecting to receive bonuses from his current position, but stated that he was given a difficult patient panel that prevented him from getting the bonuses so he could pay off the debt. He said his dad is selling his house so he could pay me back in 2 months.

I was at work and told him I would see what I could do and let him know later that day. Of course, I was not planning on lending him $65k – that’s just ridiculous. But I felt so bad for him I considered lending him something. I consulted with a few close friends and relatives about lending him the money, and they all told me “hell no”. They said it’s one thing if we were best friends, but you don’t lend a random co-worker a large sum of cash like that. I knew they were right, but I felt really bad about the situation.

I am glad I decided to google the doctor – because it turns out, he had already been arrested multiple times! From what I read, he had scammed previous physician partners from shared profits, several times. His first arrest was over a decade ago. I was in complete shock! I couldn’t believe he wasn’t who I thought he was.

Later that week, I found out he was arrested again, and let go from our job. I was surprised our employer hired him in the first place, since they do thorough background checks. But apparently, they thought it was a personal problem and didn’t think it would affect patient care. Our employer had even lent him $20k one time to help pay the debt. He was supposed to pay them back with the quarterly bonuses he received, but never did. He always told me he received $0 in bonuses, but that ended up being a lie as well.

He had asked the other physicians to borrow money over the years. Most said no. One did lend him money, and he paid him back. I am not sure what he does with all of the money from his salary, bonuses, and scams. Does he have a gambling problem? That would be the only explanation. I can’t believe someone that makes his income has absolutely nothing in savings. I remember when he started at my job he drove a minivan, and within a month he upgraded to a jaguar.

Most people think all doctors are rich. But this is just an example of how that can be far from the truth. Even when they try to portray wealth with a fancy car. One day, I was helping some of the staff open their 401ks at work. Since I am contracted through an agency, I wasn’t sure which company their employer used for the 401k. The Doctor walked by, so I asked him if he contributes to his 401k at work. I was surprised when he said “no”. I figured, ok he must be set then. Little did I know…

Anyways, it’s crazy how little you know people… Fortunately, my support system helped me make the best decision for myself. As a healthcare provider, we are always wanting to help people, but we have to make sure it’s not a detriment to ourselves.