In this episode, David is joined by Dr. Wendell Cole, a physician in training who is also a book author, entrepreneur and podcast host. They discuss his passion for medicine, entrepreneurship, his growing interest in real estate investment, and his career path to this point.
Wendell begins with his background—where he grew up and what got him interested in medicine generally and orthopaedics in particular. He outlines the jobs he had and ventures he started while in medical school, as well as the book he wrote and a podcast he launched at the same time. David and Wendell chat about why he ended that podcast and launched the NailedIt podcast when starting orthopaedic residency.
David and Wendell discuss Wendell’s approach to time and task management, including the use of batch processing. Wendell then explains his growing interest in real estate investing and delves into the details on the management of the Airbnb he owns.
Finally, Wendell shares his personal financial goals at his current career stage and those of his friends and colleagues also in residency and fellowship. He concludes by reminding all sports medicine doctors that he will be looking for a job shortly!
What You’ll Learn:
- Where Wendell grew up and how his immigrant parents impacted him
- What got Wendell interested in medicine and orthopaedics
- The jobs and venture he started while in medical school
- The book he wrote about medical school and its success
- The origin of Wendell’s first podcast, Convos with Cole
- Why he terminated that podcast and launched the NailedIt podcast when starting residency
- Wendell’s approach to time and task management, including the use of batch processing
- Wendell’s interest in real estate
- How he manages his Airbnb rental
- Wendell’s personal financial goals at this stage of his career
- What he sees as financial goals of his friends and colleagues also in residency and fellowship
Resources:
- David Mandell: Bio
- Dr. Wendell Cole: Bio
- Dr. Cole’s book: The Med School Survival Kit
- Dr. Cole’s podcast: Nailed It Ortho
Wendell Cole Bio
Wendell “Cody” Cole was born in Brooklyn New York, and raised in Marietta, Georgia, after doing a year of school in Jamaica. He was born to immigrants from the Caribbean Islands, his father Wendell Cole and mother Nadine Maturine. He is also one of 17 brothers and sisters, and he played varsity football and ran track and field during high school. He started college at the age of 16, eventually graduating from Georgia State University in 2014. During college he worked numerous jobs including refereeing for intramural sports, working as gym personnel, and also working as a restaurant server for over 3 years. He then started medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine when he was 20 years old while also running his first start up business. He graduated in 2018 matching into Orthopaedic surgery at Tulane, becoming the first doctor in his family. Between his first and second year in medical school, he a participated in Nth Dimensions, a program aimed at increasing underrepresented minorities in Orthopaedic Surgery. He spent 2 months at the Kerlan- Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic doing research and participating in clinical activities under Dr. Clarence Shields. In addition to his academics, he also has an entrepreneurial spirit. He started a real estate investing business with classmates, a podcast, was involved in network marketing, and he also became a bestselling author after self-publishing “The Med School Survival Kit- How to Breeze Through Medical School While Crushing Your Exams”. This book currently has over 120 reviews and 5 stars on Amazon and has helped thousands of medical students succeed through medical school. He also has a passion for education, and during his first year of residency co-started an Orthopaedic surgery podcast called “Nailed It Ortho”, a 5-star Orthopaedic surgery podcast covering high-yield topics with more than 200 episodes published featuring experts from the field of Orthopaedic Surgery, which has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. During his time at Tulane he has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, has written multiple textbook chapters, and has presented his research at a national level. He is dedicated to lifelong learning and education and is committed to treating every patient of his with care and compassion, as if they are his own family. He has also had his fair share of Orthopaedic injuries and surgeries, which helps him connects even more with his patients and their career needs and goals. He is extremely grateful and thankful for his time at Tulane, and each of the attendings, residents, nurses, and ancillary staff that has helped shape him to the Orthopaeduc surgeon he is today. He is set to start a sports medicine fellowship in August 2023 at NYU- Langone.