Physician Career Satisfaction At An All-Time Low

We’ve talked about physician burnout before. It’s an unfortunate side effect of how the U.S. healthcare system currently functions. It’s also one of the biggest contributing factors to the physician shortage that plagues us today.

But another reason for physicians leaving the field en masse? Career dissatisfaction.

Physician are not happy with their work, and it’s easy to see why. Between being forced to do more administrative tasks than clinical work and the current socioeconomic climate, doctors often feel exhausted and unfulfilled in their careers.

So, it’s not hard to see why 40% of them are scaling back their hours, leading to strain on a system already lacking primary care workers.

Today, let’s discuss why physician aren’t satisfied with their careers and how that is impacting both them and the healthcare industry in the U.S. Here’s what you can expect to read:

• Why Practicing As A Physician In The U.S. Is Growing Pains
• Dissatisfaction Within The Medical Fraternity
• How Doctors Are Tackling Uncertainty In Their Careers

Undervalued: Why Doctors Can’t Find The Motivation To Continue Practicing

According to most physicians, becoming a doctor was more of a calling than a pursuit to them.

Getting to medical school itself is a journey followed by residency, which means it’s easily a decade before physicians can open their own practice. And it’s expensive, with the average medical student graduating with $240,000 in debt. But the respect and fulfillment these doctors got from practicing and giving back to the community were worth all the work, education, and sacrifices they made.

However, since the Pandemic, we are seeing physicians reconsider their career choices now more than ever. Research shows that doctors are experiencing exhaustion and burnout at an all-time high, with rates of depersonalisation and exhaustion increasing due to work-related issues.

And this was not unexpected. There was a time when doctors could work as primary care providers in rural communities and still find the commitment to continue their careers. But that was when doctors still made a livable wage and didn’t have student loans and increased pressure from the workplace to deal with.

Not only are we seeing physician pay stagnate across the U.S., but we are also seeing doctors take up more responsibilities that aren’t in their job description.

Speaking of, a Medscape survey found that 63% of doctors stated that too many bureaucratic tasks are the biggest contributor to their burnout and depression at work.

Administrative tasks account for up to 24% of a physician’s work hours, time that could be spent with patients, leading to barriers in providing the quality medical care patients need.

And while integrating technological advancements into the healthcare system sounds like a good idea to streamline operations, it hasn’t exactly panned out. Instead, doctors complain that medical bureaucracy has increased following the digitization of medical records, and they are spending more time dealing with insurance companies and tackling daily tasks that were once simpler.

The computerization of practicing medicine has significantly impacted doctors, as research shows that higher administrative workloads are associated with lower levels of career satisfaction.

So, when doctors are forced to do more work with even more red tape and no substantial compensation? It isn’t hard to see why they don’t have the drive anymore.

How Physician Dissatisfaction Affects The Healthcare System

When physicians experience burnout, it causes a ripple effect throughout the healthcare system. And the proof of that is in front of us, in the form of the physician shortage that is currently ravaging our country.

The physician shortage in the U.S. is due to several factors, but it can be boiled down to this: physicians are overworked and underpaid. And when this happens, we see the following start to impact patient care:

• Burnout leads to the breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship, as 50% of physicians report a stronger sense of depersonalization following exhaustion.
• Poor patient interactions lead to emotional and mental distress for the physician, on top of the additional workload. This leads to stress-related issues like fractured memory, an impaired executive function and attention, which could threaten patient safety.
• Physicians are unable to deliver optimum medical attention, negatively impacting the patient’s experience. Already, the U.S. has the highest levels of patient dissatisfaction in the world, with 35% agreeing that the system needs reform.

While patient safety and the risk of medical errors are a major issue when it comes to physicians’ distress, the impact it has on ease of access to medical care is just as concerning.

When physicians are dissatisfied with the direction their career is headed, they often have to make tough choices, which may include leaving the field altogether. According to the American Medical Association, one-third of the current medical workforce is considering either lowering their work hours or leaving medicine for other career options.

Physicians leaving medicine doesn’t just impact medical access for patients; it’s also an expensive issue for the healthcare system itself.

Physician turnover can cost a healthcare organization upwards of $500,000 to $1 million in various expenses, including recruitment, lost billings, and more. Just replacing a physician can amount to three times the salary of the doctor who left.

Less than one-third of the world’s doctors are satisfied with the way their healthcare system works, and the U.S. tops that list with the worst one. So, if physician discontent isn’t just an insular issue, and if left unaddressed, it can have dire consequences for patient healthcare and safety.

Doctor’s Notes: Finding Fulfillment In Your Career

Being a doctor in the U.S. isn’t easy, and being content with the current circumstances might be a tall order. But there are ways to tackle this burnout within our capabilities, alongside systemic reforms that can improve the system from within.

Taking back physician autonomy

We’ve talked about physician autonomy before, and the importance of being able to make decisions for your patient’s well-being without outside interference.

The truth is that medical care in the U.S. has become less patient-centric, leading to a decline in the doctor-patient relationship and a lack of trust on both sides. When physicians reclaim their autonomy by offering care options that are long-term solutions rather than short-term products, it helps them become better caregivers and retain their patients.

Streamlining administrative tasks

Could AI be the answer to lessening medical paperwork in the future? Maybe. But until that happens, an effective way to lower that workload is through delegation.

Physicians can focus on the clinical side of their practice by delegating tasks that don’t need their attention to their staff.

This could include filing insurance paperwork, collecting electronic medical records, managing patient admissions, and other administrative tasks. Encouraging the staff to take on tasks that don’t require a physician’s expertise gives physicians more time with their patients.

Strike that work-life balance

One of the best ways to be satisfied in your career? Don’t make it your entire life.

The system often overworks physicians, and they can become so immersed in their careers that they lose sight of their personal lives, which can lead to resentment and frustration. So, doctors need to build interests outside of their careers and take time off accordingly, which helps with burnout from a hectic work environment.

A flexible schedule isn’t just beneficial for physicians. It helps physicians manage their patient intake better, which can optimize caregiving.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to improve career satisfaction among physicians without serious systemic reform. Steps are being taken to address burnout, and some progress has been made. However, it will be a long time before we see lasting improvements in the rates of discontent and frustration among physicians.

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