
Ryan Fightmaster, M.D. is a writer, psychiatrist, and furniture professional.
Since quitting medicine in 2022, he’s published over 175 pieces, including a weekly column and newsletter. In 2024, he released his first book 32 Lessons from 8 Years Lost in Medicine, garnering high praise for honesty and vulnerability.
Dr. Fightmaster is a proud Oklahoman, where he grew up and attended medical school before completing psychiatry residency at the University of California, Irvine. Currently, he lives with his wife and cat in Asheville, North Carolina.
Latest newsletters
Newsletter #136: High-Stakes Barefoot Poker
For a year in California, I rented a casita in a family’s backyard. Upsides: fifty-foot pine tree right outside my door, listening to the kids practice piano, only five minutes from the…
Keep readingNewsletter #134: Nothing Left on the Line
Just past 5 p.m., I was in the garage painting a shelf for our bedroom—the last uncompleted “must complete today” task on my list. If successfully finished, this would mark the first…
Keep readingNewsletter #133: No GPS Required
Vision: seeing things for what they can be, not what they are. – Sam Presti We moved to Oklahoma City for intimacy, not just with our friends and family, but with a…
Keep readingLife after Quitting Medicine
A Cat Story: Why We Take the Leap of Faith
CALL TO ACTION: Asheville Needs Help
25 Years Later, I Accept My Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
No, Really. I Want to Be Here.
Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It
A 35-Year-Old Man Completes Adolescence
See the full archive of Ryan’s past writing HERE













