When country singer Ed Bruce released "Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" in 1975, he suggested that they should consider becoming doctors instead, but if a new national survey of doctors is to be believed, that’s not such a good career move either.
The survey, conducted by the Georgia-based staffing company Jackson Healthcare, found that 59% of physicians would be unlikely to encourage a young person to become a doctor. The findings are based on the responses of 3,456 physicians who completed e-mailed surveys between March 7 and April 1, 2013.
Mary Ellen Schneider/IMNG Medical Media
A new survey found 59% of physicians would be unlikely to encourage a young person to become a doctor.
Their dissatisfaction with medical practice is reflected in the career satisfaction numbers in the survey. Only 20% of physicians said that they were very satisfied in their work, while 39% were somewhat satisfied and 42% were somewhat or very dissatisfied.
The satisfied ones tended to be those employed by a hospital or working at a physician-owned practice where they had no ownership stake, according to the survey.
Satisfied doctors reported that they worked 11 hours a day or less and were supported by nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
In contrast, dissatisfied doctors tended to own their practices, work as locum tenens physicians, or work for a hospital-owned practice. They also worked longer hours and had few physician extenders.
Maybe the next generation will take Ed Bruce’s other suggested career path and become lawyers.