Bava Basra: Moshe’s grandson (incorrectly) claims that he learns from his grandfather that it is better to work avoda zara than asking for tzedoka. He is corrected – it means working a “strange job”. Just modify your story that hospital stopped paying the surgeon and then this tzaddik became an exemplary janitor using all his skills, and the story looks different.
Of course, the surgeon will have a challenge that he needs to answer to his bosses, that he needs to sterilize his mop himself, that people do not remember his name and do not call him “Dr” … Hopefully, he overcomes these challenges.
Once a shoichet told R Salanter that he is exhausted being on the hook for kashrus for the whole town and wants to go into business. R Salanter answered – you are afraid of violating halochos of shchita, but what about all halochos of business – honest measures, paying on time, etc – there are way more challenges. So, hopefully medical school taught the surgeon all the skills he needs to be an ehrliche janitor.