Free resources we trust

The physician-finance site built to stop doctors getting ripped off: 2,500+ free articles, a podcast, and a free Financial Boot Camp email course.

The catch: The free education is the real thing; just know the site also sells courses and books and earns from recommended-company links. Take the free side first.

A volunteer-run, non-commercial community whose whole point is honest investing guidance, free from anyone trying to sell you a financial product.

The catch: DIY and US-focused; it teaches low-cost index investing in general, it won't give you personalized advice.

Most residents train at nonprofit hospitals, so your residency years can count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This official tool checks your employer and tracks the 120 payments.

The catch: Only counts if you're on an income-driven plan with the right (Direct) loans, and the rules have shifted lately, so confirm current status. Use the Employer Search to verify your hospital.

A neutral federal guide to repayment options and spotting student-loan scams, with no product to sell you, which is rare in this space.

The catch: General, not physician-specific, and it points you to your loan servicer for account specifics.

Free, unbiased money guidance built for med students and residents: budgeting, credit, loan-repayment webinars, and the MedLoans Organizer & Calculator.

The catch: Oriented to the training years; the MedLoans calculator's full access needs an AAMC-member-school login.

The one insurance to lock in early in residency, while you're young, healthy, and can still get an own-occupation, specialty-specific policy. The honest physician walkthrough of what to buy and when.

The catch: WCI earns a referral fee from the agents it recommends, so take its actual advice (use an independent agent who shows every company) and get more than one quote.

On a resident's salary an income-driven plan keeps payments low while your PSLF clock runs. The official source, and the one that warns you that refinancing federal loans into a private loan permanently kills PSLF.

The catch: The plans and rules are changing in 2026, so confirm the current options, and don't let a refinancing pitch talk you out of forgiveness.

Free, confidential, 24/7. Call or text 988, or chat online, whenever you're in crisis or just not okay. It's for any emotional distress, not only suicide.

The catch: Crisis and emotional support, not ongoing care; in an immediate emergency it's the right first call.

A free, confidential line staffed by volunteer psychiatrists, for physicians and trainees. Call about anything, no appointment, no notes, no reporting.

The catch: Open Mon-Fri, 8am-11pm ET (1-888-409-0141); for around-the-clock or emergency support, use 988.

The nonprofit fighting the real reason doctors don't get help: it works to strip the intrusive mental-health questions out of licensing and credentialing, and shares free wellbeing toolkits.

The catch: Advocacy and resources, not a treatment provider; pair it with the support lines above.

Free self-help tools from your accreditor: a CBT-based app aimed at junior residents, podcasts, and well-being modules.

The catch: Self-guided tools, not a substitute for care when you need a person.

A volunteer-run nonprofit that connects healthcare workers to licensed therapists, built to lower the barriers between you and ongoing mental-health care.

The catch: Volunteer-dependent, so availability varies; confirm fit and any cost when you reach out.

The rules your program has to follow: the 80-hour week (averaged over four weeks), one day off in seven, and the 24-hour shift cap. Programs get cited for breaking them.

The catch: A few specialties get a higher cap by exception, and the document is dense; jump to Section VI for hours and well-being.

The largest housestaff union: free, plain-language guides to your rights, the employer practices that are illegal, and how residents organize for better pay, leave, and conditions.

The catch: Union-side by nature; even if your program isn't unionized, the rights and 'what's illegal' explainers still apply to you.

Federal law protects employees who act together on pay and conditions, and since a 1999 ruling, residents at private hospitals count as employees with that right.

The catch: General employee rights, not residency-specific; public-hospital residents fall under state law instead.

A neutral primer on the wave of resident unionization: what contracts actually cover (leave, pay, childcare, call rooms) and the trade-offs, so you can judge it for yourself.

The catch: An explainer, not a how-to; it's reporting, so weigh it alongside CIR's organizing resources.