Dermatologists have the highest job satisfaction among 29 medical specialties, while internal medicine physicians have the lowest, according to a 2022 speciality report from Medscape.
Physicians' happiness varies greatly by specialty, with plastic surgeons reporting the most contentment outside of work, a Feb. 24 Medscape report found. The report is based on survey responses from 9,175 U.S. physicians polled between June 28 and Oct. 3, 2022.
Neurosurgeons are the highest paid physician specialists, earning an average of $788,313 annually, according to Doximity's "2023 Physician Compensation Report." The results were drawn from survey responses from 190,000 physicians over the last six years, including 31,000 in 2022.
Best work/life balance: Dermatology
Work/life balance was voted the most important career aspect by 29% of physicians in our survey. Because they typically work a fixed number of office hours, dermatologists develop better long-term relationships with their patients and with their external friends and family.
Family Medicine (General Practice)
This specialty has long been thought to be one of the best for doctors who want a good balance between work and life.
Of note, allergy and immunology physicians also spend the least amount of time on paperwork and administrative tasks out of any specialty on our list at just 14.6 hours per week. For perspective, this is a similar amount of time to dermatology which is known for being one of the best lifestyle specialties.
The specialties in which physicians are more likely to work 51 or more hours a week are: General surgery: 77 percent. Urology: 76 percent. Cardiology: 72 percent.
On the most fortunate side, nearly half of anesthesiologists (48.3%) and radiologists (48.8%) who answered our survey took more than 4 weeks of vacation each year. About a third to a half of physicians get in 2-4 weeks of vacation time a year.
The critical care specialties (emergency medicine, ICU, anaesthesia) are often considered lifestyle-friendly because of the regular hours and reliable home time.
When society generally thinks of doctors, they are thinking of internists. They are often the smartest and most well- rounded physicians due to the breadth of knowledge they (along with family medicine physicians) often carry.
The happiest doctors in the world are found in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, according to a new study. Similar to the overall happiness, each of the top three is a Northern European country.
General Surgeons
These doctors can operate on all parts of your body. They can take out tumors, appendices, or gallbladders and repair hernias. Many surgeons have subspecialties, like cancer, hand, or vascular surgery.
In general, it's best to put off vacation during the months of January and August (and even potentially add availability) as they're the busiest months for most doctors.
On average, most physicians work between 40 and 60 hours per week. This is the average; however, about a quarter of doctors have work weeks that consist of 61 to 80 hours. Physicians may put in individual shifts of as few as 6 hours and as much as 20 hours.
Cardiologists diagnose, assess and treat patients with defects and diseases of the heart and the blood vessels, which are known as the cardiovascular system.
Radiology & Pathology have basically no patient contact. Anesthesiologists & EMed docs have brief and efficient patient interactions. What type of patient population would you like to work with? Look at the typical patient populations in each specialty you're considering.
Family medicine is considered to be one of the easiest specialties to become a doctor in because it typically has a shorter training period than other specialties. The training process for family medicine usually lasts three years, while many other specialties require four or more years of post-graduate training.
Surgical specialities tend to yield the highest pay, while pediatricians typically take home the least, according to a recent report from Doximity. The networking service for medical professionals has released its 2023 Physician Compensation Report, tracking trends in physician pay nationwide.
1. Family Medicine. Family medicine practitioners are trained in pediatrics and adult care (including gynecology and gastroenterology) so that they can treat every member of the family. Their work involves comprehensive care and requires an understanding of most ailments.