“If you get hurt or become too sick to work, what happens to your income?” It’s one of the first questions that Scott Dial, a disability-income expert who works with TMA Insurance Trust, asks medical residents and new physicians. For some people — 40 percent, to be exact — that answer is usually “I don’t know” followed by “I think my employer has something,” or “my spouse will have to work.” The average healthy person is rarely counseled on handling a disability.

As a medical resident, you are aware that certain disabilities can have life altering consequences, especially if safeguards were not put into place before the disability occurred. It is no secret that residency is often a trying time, including lack of money, long hours, little sleep and an accumulation of student loans. Contemplating your financial future can feel overwhelming when you are just trying to get through the long list of daily responsibilities as a medical resident. Even if purchasing disability insurance is not currently at the top of your priority list, take a quick look at a few reasons why it is a good idea to protect yourself early on.