Medical Student's Transition to Crypto Assets: Don't Let Sunk Costs Trap Your Life

Former medical students share their journey to cryptocurrency, illustrating that their lives should not be tied to "sunk costs". Past experience is nourishment, we should rationally evaluate the future, and bravely embrace opportunities that can create higher value. This article originated from an article written by Wajahat Mughal and was compiled, compiled and written by TechFlow. (Synopsis: Web3 job search truth: the bull market is coming, the job is gone) (Background supplement: The first batch of post-00 Web3 workers have begun to "withdraw from the circle") If you sell your position today, will you buy it back tomorrow? "You've wasted all your time and energy." - In August 2025, someone said to me. This is a picture of the first books I took during my first week as a medical student, but these books I never actually opened or read. Let's tell you a little story. Almost ten years ago, I started medical school. At that time, I often thought about what I wanted to do in the future. The books in the pictures were borrowed from the library, and the first week of cases started with embryology and anatomy, and the excitement was real. I would think about the vastness of medicine, imagining my life as a doctor and the choices I needed to make after graduation. The charm of the medical profession lies in its diversity: you can be hands-on like a trauma surgeon; Focus on technology, such as radiology; Communication-centric, such as family medicine or psychiatry; or combining elements through emergency or acute medicine; There are dozens of other majors, each with its own unique perspective, characteristics, and strengths and weaknesses. At the time, I initially wanted to be a surgeon and thought it was cool to be an ophthalmologist. But I quickly realized that anatomy wasn't for me, and although I was good at hands-on, I found that I didn't really like spending time in the operating room. Later, I wanted to go into radiology, then general medicine ( family medicine ), and even briefly considered gastroenterology. The point is that I only saw my own path to medicine at that time, and did not consider other possibilities at all. Catch a beautiful sunset during a busy surgical shift after graduation. I never thought I'd be in the financial industry, let alone cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (Crypto/DeFi). But life is always full of changes. I experienced new experiences, met new people, explored new hobbies, and in the blink of an eye, almost ten years later, I stood where I am today. In fact, when I first entered medical school, I had no idea what cryptocurrency was. Looking back, the journey from me then to who I am now is amazing. A few days ago, at an event, someone said to me, "You wasted all your time and energy and left medicine." I've heard a lot of similar claims over the past few years as I gradually cut back on my medical practice in favor of crypto. I understand that these words are sometimes motivated by concerns about security and stability, but they are wrong. In one word, it's "human capital." All the learning, experience, skill building and memory accumulation have become who I am today. These are not going away! For me, this includes everything from communication skills to critical thinking, memory skills, to the ability to actually treat acute or chronic patients. These abilities are still a part of me. The sunk cost fallacy My main message is: don't fall into the sunk cost fallacy. I see this a lot in the medical field, and maybe some of you have encountered it too. Just because you've invested a lot of time and effort in something, doesn't mean you need to make it a lifelong career. The sunk cost fallacy is our tendency to stick to something – whether emotionally, financially, educationally, or psychologically – even when there are better opportunities ahead. Here's an example: you invest in a newly launched altcoin, and at the time it was considered the next hit, you put some money into it. However, as the months go by, you find that it's not performing well, other projects in the market are doing better, and the team's plans for the next product update are seriously lagging behind. Still, you choose to hold these coins. Why don't we just sell it and get rid of it? Was it once a "trap family"? You've probably experienced this...... The sunk cost fallacy is once again the "winner" because it allows us to think more about the costs already paid than future opportunities when making decisions. We focus too much on the resources already invested and neglect other options ( for example, in many cases, it is better to sell the altcoin for Bitcoin ). Behind this phenomenon is our irrational behavior, which is often influenced by emotions. 这种谬误还与承诺偏差和损失厌恶密切相关,这也是每个crypto investors or investment市人士都可能經歷過的。 What can we learn from this? Take my experience, for example. When @0xBobdbldr contacted me and invited me to join him and do something completely different in the DeFi space, I was already working part-time in the crypto space but still practicing medicine. I'm at a crossroads in my life: do I want to go full-time into the crypto domain? For me, DeFi is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get involved at an early stage, create impact, and, importantly, make a difference in my own life and the lives of others. The choice was based on future earnings and avoided the sunk cost fallacy, which helped me overcome my inner struggles. It's perfectly acceptable to let go of things from the past. Some things are irreversible and can involve high costs, but the potential benefits of the alternative option may far outweigh what you're holding onto. As mentioned above, this can be a job, an upcoming event, or even an investment you've already made. Accept and learn: You may have made mistakes, made bad choices, or simply have a brighter alternative waiting for you. Embracing change and letting go of irreversible costs is an excellent thing. Try to think rationally, not just emotionally, especially when it comes to investment decisions. Focus on future gains, whether it's a new investment opportunity or a new career waiting for you, with data and metrics to support your decisions. I like people who ask questions like, "If you sell your position today, will you buy it back tomorrow?" I guess in many cases, the answer may be no! Related Stories From Zero Leverage to Stable Profit: A Crypto Trader's Six Years of Review Experience and Lessons Trader Eugene: Most ETH long positions have been closed! Easy money to reach the standard to run just stop loss long order" trader James Wynn backhand 40 times leverage to open a short $370 million bitcoin (medical student turned to cryptocurrency: don't let the sunk cost, trap your life) This article was first published in BlockTempo "Dynamic Trend - The Most Influential Blockchain News Media".