I would choose medicine again
What is the most challenging part of your job?
00%
01%
02%
03%
04%
05%
06%
07%
08%
09%
10%
11%
12%
13%
14%
15%
16%
17%
18%
27%
00%
13%
23%
33%
43%
53%
63%
70%
73%
18%
28%
38%
48%
58%
68%
YES
"I'm overworked and underpaid, and my organization knows but doesn't give a damn and they do nothing to fix this except recommending yoga."
"I will no longer practice cookbook mediocrity."
"Patients have become rude and come with poor information from social media."
Physicians on the brink
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians re-evaluated their lifestyles. In a 2022 survey on physician lifestyle and happiness, more than 10,000 physicians in over 29 specialties said dealing with vaccine misinformation or adjusting to hybrid work models affected their lives beyond practicing medicine.
Compiled by Cassandra West
NO
19%
20%
21%
22%
23%
24%
25%
26%
03%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
"My company wanted to rent me out to places with high risk of contamination. I refused."
"I was sued three times in three years."
How much did physicians earn overall?
$352,000
All physicians
All physicians
PCPs
$265,000
PCPs
Compensation
Specialists
$382,000
Specialists
In primary care, who earns more?
Men
$286,000
Men
Women
$239,000
Women
White
$358,000
Asian American
$351,000
Latino/Hispanic
$338,000
African American/Black
$311,000
Burnout is up and is harming physicians' health and relationships. In a survey released in January 2023, more than 9,100 physicians reported on the cause of their burnout and depression.
Burnout
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Source: Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2023: Your Income vs Your Peers'
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Source: 'I Cry but No One Cares': Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023
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Source: Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2023: Your Income vs Your Peers'
By work setting
Outpatient clinic
57%
Office-based multispecialty group practice
57%
Health care organization
55%
Hospital
55%
Academic (nonhospital)
53%
Office-based single-specialty group practice
53%
Office-based solo practice
43%
Other
46%
Infectious diseases
58%
Obstetrics/gynecology
58%
Pediatrics
59%
Internal medicine
60%
Emergency medicine
65%
Physicians with the most burnout
Compensation by racial, ethnic group
Getty Images
How happy are physicians outside
of work?
Very unhappy
7%
Somewhat unhappy
19%
Neutral
15%
Somewhat happy
35%
Very happy
24%
Read story
Source: 'I Cry but No One Cares': Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023