Doctors Who Code | The 2026 Playbook
HOW DOCTORS LEARN TO CODE IN 2026
The LLM-First Guide for Physician Builders By Chukwuma I. Onyeije, MD, FACOG
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[SECTION 1: THE PARADIGM SHIFT]
🛑 Stop "Learning." Start Building.
The days of spending 6 months on JavaScript tutorials before building your first app are over. In 2026, Inquisitiveness > Memorization.
The Old Way (2020):
Memorise syntax, get stuck in "Tutorial Hell," build generic To-Do lists.
The New Way (2026):
Use LLMs (GPT-5.1, Claude) as reasoning partners to build clinical tools from Day 1.
[SECTION 2: THE COMPARISON TABLE]
⚡ Why the New Path Wins
[SECTION 3: THE 7-STEP PROTOCOL]
🛠️ The "Vibe Coding" Protocol
Don't write code from scratch. Orchestrate it.
01
Identify a Pain Point:
Pick a real clinical workflow (e.g., "Documentation takes too long").
02
Define Requirements:
List what the app must do (Differential Diagnosis).
03
Prompt the Architect:
Ask an AI: "I want to build [X]. Suggest a tech stack and generate a starter template."
04
Launch the MVP:
Deploy the skeleton app immediately (Vercel/Firebase).
05
Iterate & Refine:
Add one feature at a time. Test. Repeat.
06
Review the Evidence:
Use AI to debug errors (Consultation).
07
Ship It:
Deploy the tool to your practice.
[SECTION 4: THE PHYSICIAN ADVANTAGE]
🩺 Why You Are Already Good at This
You don't need a Computer Science degree. You have a Medical Degree.
1
Diagnosis = Debugging
2
Clinical Pathways = Algorithms
3
Evidence-Based Medicine = Best Practice Development
[SECTION 5: PROOF OF CONCEPT]
🚀 Case Study: CodeCraftMD
I didn't go to a bootcamp. I used this exact method to build CodeCraftMD—a platform that automates medical coding and reduces "pyjama time." I learned by asking the model: "How do I build this?"
Coding is no longer a technical skill. It is a clinical superpower.
🔗 Read the full guide: DoctorsWhoCode.blog
© 2026 Doctors Who Code | Chukwuma I. Onyeije, MD