"Retiring Well" is a short series in which retired SND members share their experiences, their wisdom, and their lessons learned to help pave the way for other retiring physicians. 

Dr. Jan Peace's impactful and wide-ranging medical career has included being a founding member of the Surrey Prenatal Clinic, starting the Neonatal Resuscitation Program at Surrey Memorial Hospital, and mentoring many young physicians in family medicine and obstetrics. 

When she retired from family practice in 2022, Dr. Peace discovered that her network was one of her greatest assets during the transition. Learn how she built that network, and how it gave back. 

What worked well for planning your retirement?

I do a lot of teaching - I have for 37 years - and through that, I'm very well-connected in the community. My biggest concern was finding homes for my patients who needed care right away. So I was pleasantly surprised when some of my old residents that I taught and IMGs who used to do evaluations with me in my office phoned me and offered to take some of my patients. And when I needed to dispose of my medical equipment, I had several new residents just starting their practice who took it for me.

I was also lucky that my building developer was taking over my building so I got to sell my suite.  

How else are you staying involved in the medical community?

I work in the prenatal clinic one day a week and I do patient phone calls. So I stay connected there. And then I attend CME events to stay up to date and stay connected to my colleagues.

Is there anything else you'd like to say on the subject of retiring well from family practice?

I'd say, it's important to have something to do with your time. So step down slowly and make sure you have a hobby you can pick up to increase your social network because that's really important. I was a "pickleball widow" - my husband was playing 6 hours a day - so I started playing pickleball shortly after I retired.

I also attend Division events and dinners which is a nice way to connect.  

Are you planning on retiring in the next 5 years? Reach out to the PES team to ask about support and connections for retiring physicians!