Medical school teaches you how to take care of patients.
It does not teach you how today’s healthcare system will try to take ownership of your time, your paycheck, and your autonomy.
Doctor Do, Doctor Don’t: Actionable Do’s and Don’ts for Navigating Pay, Practice Models, and Pitfalls is a straight‑talking guide for medical students and residents who don’t want to be blindsided by the business of medicine.
Drawing on more than two decades in independent private practice, Grace Torres‑Hodges, DPM, MBA, walks you through the real‑world decisions that shape a career: how you get paid, who controls the exam room, what’s actually in that contract, and how “productivity” metrics quietly rewrite your values if you’re not paying attention.
Each chapter is built around practical do’s and don’ts—clear, concise, and designed to be dog‑eared, not admired from a distance. You’ll learn how to read compensation models, spot red flags in employment offers, think beyond one “expected” career path, and protect your boundaries before burnout becomes your baseline.
This is a pragmatic playbook for practicing medicine on purpose instead of on autopilot—so you can build a career that serves both your patients and your life outside the hospital.
If you’re a med student, resident, or mentor who believes autonomy isn’t anti‑establishment, this is the handbook you wish you’d had before signing on the dotted line.
