What is The Physician Project?

A judgment-free zone for exploring what's next

Thousands of physicians are quietly considering their options, so you’re in good company.

Whether you are unhappy in your current position or you’re ready for something completely new, you belong here.

Let’s be clear: It’s not PHYSICIAN BURNOUT but system meltdown. We deserve better.

I've been a physician in the US for nearly 20 years. I treasure the craft but the system is broken. That's why I created The Physician Project.

Patients deserve healthy doctors, and we deserve happiness and fulfillment in our lives and careers. Full stop.

Some physicians are seeking change, frustrated and trapped. Others have created alternatives for themselves. (Seriously, physicians are incredibly resourceful when we’re not drowning in documentation.)

These two groups need to meet!

Explore the work of peers

Love the work, hate the system?

Need financial flexibility?

Ready to explore what else medicine can be?

Our colleagues have built amazing alternatives.

Share your expertise

What pitfalls should new medical graduates avoid?

Which side gigs are ideal for practicing physicians?

How can we practice medicine on our own terms?

Expand your physician audience!

The Physician Project = Peer-created alternatives + Easy browsing + Free for physicians

Origins of The Physician Project

I became disillusioned during my med-peds residency in 2011. I wanted to regain the purpose and meaning that once drove me. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I decided to gain inspiration from my peers. (Turns out, when you actually have time to look around, physicians are doing incredibly cool things.)

Since then, I’ve become a student of ‘all things physician,’ and I’m fascinated by the ways my peers continue to redefine their careers. Some are still practicing full-time and loving it. Others have pivoted entirely. Most are somewhere in between—and all of it is valid.

My own path led me to urgent care, a choice that raised some eyebrows among my academic colleagues, but gave me what I valued most: direct patient contact and less administrative hierarchy. Your path will look different, and that’s exactly the point.

More about DR. CARMEN HOLMES here.

Why it's a Project

It’s a project because it’s experimental. The Physician Project is a low-budget, DIY website developed by a physician who learned web design on YouTube. (Pardon the minor glitches here and there!)

The real questions: Can a free resource bring value to physicians in the evolving landscape of social media, search engines, and AI? Can showcasing the cool things that physicians are doing motivate others to feel less isolated and more empowered?

Time will tell. But I’m optimistic.

Mission, Vision, and Values

The Physician Project exists to connect, inform, and empower physicians and physicians-in-training.

The Physician Project strives for the day when the training, culture, and delivery of medical care are no longer detrimental to the health and well-being of physicians.

Until that day arrives, we want every physician and physician-in-training to know exactly where to go to find the inspiration, advice, and community that they desire.

Physicians who also value clarity, growth, integrity, exploration, and gratitude are welcome to join us!

What We are Not

A clunky EHR implemented without physician input

A platform for patient reviews or Press Ganey scores

A corporate wellness initiative suggesting yoga will fix systemic problems

A place where you have to pretend everything is fine

We are real physicians sharing what’s actually working for them.

Wanting something different means you're honest, not disloyal.