What is The Physician Project?
A judgment-free zone for exploring what's next
Thousands of your colleagues are quietly exploring options; you’re in good company.
Whether you love medicine but hate your job, or you’re ready for something completely new, you belong here.
Is it PHYSICIAN BURNOUT or system meltdown? (Spoiler: It’s the system. We’re not broken, the system is. But either way, we deserve better.)
The Physician Project was created by a practicing physician who's been navigating this broken system for 17 years
What does it feel like to be a physician? When I began my training, I felt optimistic and motivated. Today, my autonomy and judgment take a back seat to the insurance industry’s profit motive.
Not only do I feel powerless, but I also share the grief and outrage of my patients who deserve better healthcare.
Why The Physician Project
Patients deserve healthy doctors, and we deserve happiness and fulfillment in our lives and careers. Full stop.
Some physicians feel frustrated and trapped. Others have invented creative solutions for themselves. (Seriously, physicians are incredibly resourceful when we’re not drowning in documentation.)
These two groups should meet! The Physician Project is basically a matchmaking service, but for career inspiration instead of romance.
Explore the work of peers
Enjoy medicine, but don’t like your job?
Need to diversify your income?
Feel that something is missing in your career?
Our colleagues have built amazing alternatives. Let’s find them together!
Share your expertise
What pitfalls should new medical graduates avoid?
Which side gigs are ideal for practicing physicians?
How can we regain control of our time?
Expand your physician audience!
The Physician Project is easy to browse, free to use, and made exclusively for physicians and trainees
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. 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—which is saying something for a physician these days.
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
No clunky EMR navigation
No patient reviews or Press Ganey scores
No corporate wellness initiatives that suggest yoga will fix systemic problems
Just real physicians sharing what’s actually working for them