Physician Experience Survey — 2026

The Weight
We Carry

A Portrait of the Modern Doctor

Dear Doctor,

Medicine asks everything of you. The late nights, the missed birthdays, the weight of decisions nobody outside this profession truly understands.

At The Doctors Collective, we exist to give that experience a voice — honest, unfiltered, and human. This survey is the foundation of our first published report. Your responses will help the world finally see who doctors really are.

It takes approximately 12 minutes. Every word matters.

~12 minto complete
100%anonymous option
Freereport sent to you
Yourvoice can change things

Questions marked * are required. All others optional.

Section A of F

Who You Are

This helps us understand who is speaking. All data is reported in aggregate — never individually.

A1
What is your primary specialty? *
Please select your specialty.
A2
Years practising medicine (post-qualification)? *
Please select one option.
A3
Current career stage? *
Please select one option.
A4
Gender? *
Please select one option.
A5
Primary practice setting? *
Please select one option.
A6
Country you are currently based in?
Section B of F

Burnout & Wellbeing

There are no right or wrong answers. This data will become one of the most important parts of our report.

B1
In the past 6 months, how often have you felt emotionally exhausted by your work?
Tap the number that best reflects your experience
1
Never
2
Rarely
3
Sometimes
4
Often
5
Almost Always
B2
Do you currently experience symptoms you would associate with burnout? *
Please select one option.
B3
Have you ever seriously considered leaving medicine altogether? *
Please select one option.
B4
What is the primary driver of your dissatisfaction or burnout?
Choose one that resonates most
B5
Have you ever sought professional mental health support for work-related stress? *
Therapy, counselling, psychiatry, or any formal mental health service
Please select one option.
B6
How comfortable do you feel discussing mental health struggles with colleagues?
Tap the number that best reflects your experience
1
Very Uncomfortable
2
Uncomfortable
3
Neutral
4
Comfortable
5
Very Comfortable
B7
Have you experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide related to work pressure?
Optional — entirely confidential, reported in aggregate only
If you are currently in crisis, please reach out:
iCall (India): 9152987821  |  Samaritans (UK): 116 123  |  Crisis Text Line (US): Text HOME to 741741
Section C of F

Identity & Sacrifice

This is often the section doctors find most difficult — and most important. Take your time.

C1
How strongly do you identify as a doctor versus a full person outside medicine?
Tap the number that best reflects your sense of self
1
Entirely my profession
2
Mostly my profession
3
Balanced
4
Mostly a person first
5
Fully a person first
C2
Has being a doctor significantly affected your personal relationships? *
Please select one option.
C3
What personal life milestones have you missed or delayed because of medicine?
Select all that apply
C4
If you could describe the single greatest sacrifice medicine has asked of you, what would it be?
Optional — your answer may be quoted anonymously in the report
0 characters
C5
If you could go back, knowing everything you know now, would you choose medicine again? *
Please select one option.
C6
Why? Tell us more.
Optional
0 characters
Section D of F

The System

How the healthcare system shapes — and sometimes breaks — the people inside it.

D1
How supported do you feel by the healthcare institution or system you work within?
Tap the number that best reflects your experience
1
Completely Unsupported
2
Mostly Unsupported
3
Neutral
4
Mostly Supported
5
Completely Supported
D2
Have you experienced moral injury — being asked to act in ways that conflict with your values due to systemic constraints?
e.g. discharging patients early, rationing care, missing diagnoses due to time pressure
D3
Of your total working time, how much is spent on admin vs. direct patient care?
D4
How satisfied are you with your financial compensation relative to your training, debt, and responsibility?
1
Very Dissatisfied
2
Dissatisfied
3
Neutral
4
Satisfied
5
Very Satisfied
D5
Do you carry significant education or training debt that affects your life decisions?
Section E of F

Your Voice

This is the heart of the survey. Write honestly — these answers become the report.

E1
What single change would have the greatest positive impact on your wellbeing as a doctor?
0 characters
E2
Do you feel doctors have a meaningful voice in healthcare policy decisions that affect them?
1
No voice at all
2
Mostly ignored
3
Some voice
4
Mostly heard
5
Strong voice
E3
Do you feel patients genuinely understand what you sacrifice to care for them?
E4
Is there something about being a doctor that you have never been able to say publicly?
This question produces the most powerful writing in the report. Say it here.
0 characters
E5
If you could say one thing to the public about what it is really like to be a doctor, what would it be?
This is likely to become a pull quote in the report. Speak directly.
0 characters
Section F of F — Final Section

Consent & Follow-up

Almost there. This section takes 2 minutes.

Your Privacy

  • Your individual responses are never shared or sold
  • Data is reported in aggregate only — no individual is identifiable
  • Any quotes used in the report require your explicit consent below
  • You may withdraw consent at any time by emailing us
F1
May we use anonymised quotes from your survey responses in our published report? *
Please select one option.
F2
Would you be willing to share your experience more fully with The Doctors Collective?
A brief 20-30 minute conversation — named or anonymous
F3
Would you like to receive the full published report when it is released? (Free)
Enter your email and we will send it directly to you
F4
Any final thoughts or things you want us to know?
0 characters
By submitting this survey, you confirm that you are a medical professional and agree that your anonymised responses may be used in aggregate research. This survey is conducted by The Doctors Collective and your data will not be sold to third parties.
?

Thank
You.

What you just shared will help the world understand what it truly costs to be a doctor.

Your responses go directly into the research behind The Weight We Carry — our first published report on physician experience. If you left your email, we will send it to you the moment it is live.

The Doctors Collective  |  stories@thedoctorscollective.com

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