How the Harsh Realities of Work in Medicine Impacts Young PhysicianslesLe

Abstract

Understanding what younger physicians want and need is a key way for an organization to determine how to recruit and retain them. In our previous post, we reviewed what final-year residents want in their first jobs and what it takes to attract them, according to a 2021 survey by the national physician recruiting and consulting firm Merritt Hawkins.

We've gleaned insights into how younger physicians (those under forty) feel after having been full-fledged working practitioners for a period of time. Medscape’s Young Physician Compensation Report from 2022 is mainly focused on what young physicians in various specialties are currently being paid, but it also assesses issues such as their workload and their satisfaction with the path they’ve chosen. Here, in a sample of the results, are four areas of concern. (Totals may not add up to 100 percent as respondents gave multiple options equal weight, or because not all response categories are included in the below overview).

There is a definite shift in values among young physicians and their peers when reflecting on their professional lives. As reported by Medscape, “For young physicians, making the world a better place has gained favor over the past few years and patient gratitude and being good at their jobs have lost some impact (14%, 35%, and 27%, respectively, in our 2016 report).”