Too Many Physicians Regret Their Career Choice. Have You Checked in with Your Team?

Not too long ago, we shared news about a Mayo Clinic Proceedingsstudy that found only 57.1% of respondents would choose to become a physician again. That should have come as no surprise, in light of other pieces of the data—particularly the revelation that 62.8% of respondents claimed at least one manifestation of burnout. Now comes news that many clinicians may be either dealing with or trying to prevent going down that road by cutting back on the amount of time they’re willing to work. An article just published by Medscape reveals that 30% of graduating pediatricians are looking for part-time clinical work, and there are more part-time physicians working in primary care, behavioral health, and outpatient specialties such as endocrinology than ever before. Given that this coincides with a provider shortage in many areas, concerns are growing that even if a given facility’s headcount is adequate, there may not be enough providers around at a given time to handle patient volume. It may be advisable for urgent care operators to consider the current state of their clinical team and the optimal way to ensure future needs are met. Reading Retaining and Developing Your Best Employees in the JUCM archive may be a good place to start.