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An illustrated handbook. Coming 2027.

The Physician Coder

Build Your Own Clinical Apps with AI Coding Agents

A step-by-step guide for doctors to start AI coding and build your own apps.

Join the waitlist

By Bhushan Thombre. Paperback and ebook.

Cover of The Physician Coder by Bhushan Thombre

Who it's for

You don't need maths, a computer science degree or a lot of free time. Just 30 minutes a day and a laptop.

Clinicians with zero coding experience

Written for doctors who have never written code. You decide what to build and check the work.

Residents and fellows doing research

A researcher lane takes you through Parts I to III, then straight to the Research Data Analyser.

Clinic owners and managers

Build the practical tools your clinic needs, and know exactly what to ask for when it's time to build them properly.

What you'll build

Case 1

Clinic Website

Build and deploy your website, then add a patient handout QR code.

Case 2

Clinical Score Calculator

Build the calculator, then learn what to do when the build breaks.

Case 3

Patient Encounter Log

Learn databases and data models, then build the log.

Case 4

Appointment Scheduler

Learn time, dates and background jobs, then build the scheduler.

Case 5

Clinic FAQ Chatbot

Learn LLMs, embeddings and RAG, build the chatbot, then handle a hallucination.

Case 6

Research Data Analyser

Build the analyser in Python.

What's inside

You are the attending; the AI coding agent is your resident. Every new idea is taught first, then used in a build.

  1. Part I
    Foundations
    Why Doctors Should Build. How AI Coding Agents Think.
  2. Part II
    Setting Up
    Your Workstation. Git & GitHub Without Fear. Meet Your AI Resident: Claude Code & Codex.
  3. Part III
    Python Basics
    First steps, data types and decisions, functions, loops and files, pandas for clinicians, and a BMI & eGFR script.
  4. Part IV
    TypeScript Basics
    First Steps in TypeScript. How a Web App Works. React Components.
  5. Part V
    Object-Oriented Thinking
    Patient, Encounter, Appointment.
  6. Part VI
    Understanding Design Concepts
    Claude Design: Sketch to Spec.
  7. Part VII
    Build
    Six projects, then From Prototype to Product.
  8. Part VIII
    Building Safely
    Privacy Law for Builders. Security Essentials.
  9. Appendices
    Reference
    Prompt Library. Troubleshooting Guide. Glossary. Repo Map.

The companion repo

Your purchase includes lifetime access to the private Physician Coder GitHub repo. The book teaches what lasts; the repo keeps up with what changes.

Already have the book? Request repo access

In the repo

  • Starting code for every project
  • Finished code for every project
  • Saved checkpoints for every project
  • Every prompt in the book, ready to copy
  • Updated setup guides when tools change

Safety first

Build to learn and prototype. Patient safety and privacy always come first. The book teaches you to build safely, and never to put patient data into tools that shouldn't have it.

About the author

Bhushan Thombre is a neurosurgeon, spine surgeon, epilepsy surgeon and programmer. He built MUSTER, a surgical logbook used by more than 2,000 surgeons around the world, and wrote this book for clinicians who want to build their own tools.

FAQ

Do I need to know how to code?

No. The book is written for doctors who have never written code.

What tools does it use?

AI coding agents, including Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, with Python and TypeScript. The current steps for each tool live in the companion repo.

How much time does it take?

About 30 minutes a day. Follow the 30-day plan, or work through one Part per weekend.

When is it out?

Coming 2027. Join the waitlist for the date.

Is there a print edition?

Yes, paperback and ebook.

Join the waitlist

Be the first to hear the release date for The Physician Coder.