Your happiness and job satisfaction as a physician doesn’t just impact your personal well-being—they can significantly influence the quality of patient care.
Gain insights into the most satisfied physician specialties and understand the factors contributing to physician burnout.
Happiest—and Least Happy—Medical Specialties
According to a recent report, the specialists who were most likely to describe themselves as “happy” or “very happy” outside of work were:
- Plastic surgery (71 percent)
- Public health and preventive medicine (69 percent)
- Orthopedics (65 percent)
- Otolaryngology (65 percent)
- Urology (63 percent)
The specialists who were least likely to describe themselves as “happy” or “very happy” outside of work were:
- Allergy and immunology (55 percent)
- Neurology (54 percent)
- Oncology (51 percent)
- Rheumatology (51 percent)
- Infectious diseases (47 percent)
Physician Job Satisfaction and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented stress on healthcare systems and providers around the world. Long hours, tense work environments, and personal risk (for both the providers themselves and their loved ones) have increased burnout.
Indeed, a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings looked at burnout and work-life satisfaction in U.S. doctors across all specialties at the end of 2021. Researchers found that more than 62 percent of physicians had at least one sign of burnout, compared with about 44 percent in 2017.
And though COVID is no longer a global public health emergency, its effects are still felt among providers. Another report states that 53 percent of physicians describe themselves as burned out—a significant increase from their 2018 survey, in which 42 percent of physicians described themselves that way.
Beyond Specialties: Other Contributors to Physician Job Satisfaction
Various factors contribute to the happiness—or lack thereof—of physicians in their professional lives.
Medical Student Debt
The escalating costs of medical school are increasingly burdening new physicians with substantial student loan debt. The average physician enters the workforce with $250,990 in student loan debt, a figure that also includes undergraduate loans or other educational debt.
This debt not only affects new physicians’ financial well-being but can also impact their career choices, pushing some toward higher-paying specialties over practicing primary care or working with patients in underserved areas. It can also lead to decreased job satisfaction and higher stress levels.
In recent years, some medical schools have begun to offer tuition-free education. In 2018, NYU Grossman School of Medicine announced it would be offering full-tuition scholarships to all current and future students in its MD degree program, regardless of need or merit. Similarly, Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has initiated a program to replace student loans with scholarships for students who qualify for financial aid.
Staffing Shortages
A growing shortage of healthcare workers—from medical technologists to nurse practitioners—is causing significant strain on the healthcare system. Physicians of all specializations are in great demand. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) estimates a shortfall of 37,800 to 124,000 U.S. doctors by 2034 across primary and specialty care, driven primarily by population growth and aging.
The shortage will likely result in added workload and stress for existing physicians, potentially leading to increased rates of dissatisfaction. For specialists more profoundly hit by the deficit, such as psychiatrists, or those working with underserved communities, the risk of burnout may be considerably heightened.
Medical schools, health systems, and professional organizations are advocating for policy changes that would expand the number of federally funded residency slots, as well as embracing innovative healthcare delivery models, like telemedicine, to optimize the current workforce.
Documentation Tasks
The burden of medical documentation is a common physician complaint. In Medscape’s survey on physician burnout and depression, 61 percent of respondents said having “too many bureaucratic tasks” was the main factor that contributed to their burnout. These tasks not only contribute to increased workload—they can also reduce physicians’ one-on-one time with patients.
According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, physicians spend an average of 1.77 hours per day completing documentation outside of office hours, which contributes to their overall stress and reduces job satisfaction.
Another study, published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, found that residents and faculty who spent more than six hours weekly on after-hours EHR work were almost three times more likely to report burnout and nearly four times more likely to attribute burnout to EHR.
The Path to Physician Happiness
At the core of a satisfied physician’s life is a commitment to advocating for their patients’ health—as well as their own. Whatever medical specialty you’re in, prioritizing your own well-being will help you balance the rigorous demands of your chosen specialty with personal and professional fulfillment.
Author Bio
Stephanie Davis, M.A. is a content marketer with over 8 years of experience. As the current content manager at Health eCareers, she creates a content strategy to help physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses on their healthcare job search and life on the job.
