Doctors are burning out at twice the rate of the general public, with female physicians at even greater risk. Each year, 400 physicians die by suicide. Mental health remains heavily stigmatized, especially in medicine. Doctors are expected to be healers, making it difficult to acknowledge their own struggles or seek help.
The Disappearing Doctors and Disposables initiatives were created to break this culture of silence and address the crisis.
Through research and personal stories, we repeatedly heard that physicians desperately need support but fear speaking up could jeopardize their reputation, insurance, or medical license.
Our approach goes beyond saying “we understand. ” We show it—by giving doctors living proof that seeking help is possible.
The creative idea was to turn a hidden crisis into a human connection—using art, not advertising, to reach doctors when they feel most alone. Rather than simply raising awareness, we created an emotional experience: portraits of physicians lost to suicide, made from the disposable medical tools they used every day.
THE DISPOSABLES project was a critical step. Convincing families to share their stories was difficult, but many chose to speak out in hopes of preventing future tragedies.
THE RESULTS:
We never knew who was listening—until we met Carrie Valdez. After seeing the Disposables initiative, Dr. Valdez found support in trusted colleagues and friends during one of the darkest moments of her life. She later told us, “I don’t know why I didn’t die that day.”
What began as an effort to raise awareness and inspire change became something far more personal and powerful. Today, Dr. Valdez is back at work, saving lives once again. By sharing the stories of physicians we’ve lost, we hoped to create understanding. Dr. Valdez’s story showed us it can also help save lives—and we hope it empowers others to seek support when they need it.
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