A recent survey conducted by the American Medical Association has found that more than one-third of physicians across various specialties are considering leaving their current positions or reducing their work hours within the next 2 years.
The American Medical Association (AMA) Organizational Biopsy, which collected responses from over 12,400 physicians across 31 states and more than 80 health systems in 2023, highlighted concerning trends in physician well-being and job satisfaction.
Survey Findings
According to the AMA national physician comparison report, 35.7% of doctors expressed a moderate to definite interest in leaving their current jobs within the next 2 years, a slight decrease from 39.3% in 2022. The intent to leave was highest among physicians who were 20 or more years out of training (40.8%), part-time physicians (39.1%), and male physicians (35.9%). In comparison, 34.9% of full-time physicians and 33.2% of women physicians reported an intention to leave their current position.
Specialties with Highest Intent to Leave
The survey also revealed that certain specialties had higher rates of physicians planning to depart, with internal medicine (39.1%), family medicine (37.3%), obstetrics and gynecology (34%), hospitalist medicine (32.9%), emergency medicine (32.3%), and pediatrics (30.2%) reporting the highest intent to leave.
In addition to the desire to leave their current positions, 35.9% of physicians surveyed said they planned to reduce their hours within the next 12 months, a decrease from 38.1% in 2022.
The survey found that a sizable number of younger and midcareer physicians are also considering leaving or reducing their work hours.
The AMA Organizational Biopsy, which serves as a national summary of organizational well-being and a comparison for other health care organizations, measures six key performance indicators: job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave an organization, feeling valued by an organization, and total hours spent per week on work-related activities.
Sanford Health's Response
Sanford Health, a member of the AMA Health System Program located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reported similar statistics to the national level, with 35.5% of their physicians intending to leave within 2 years. To address these concerns, Sanford Health has implemented various strategies, such as annual check-ins between physicians and their leaders, open communication to identify individualized solutions, and data-driven approaches to determine the needs of physicians at different stages of their careers.
Heather Spies, MD, an ob-gyn and physician director of clinician experience and well-being at Sanford Health, emphasized the importance of listening, understanding, and building trusting relationships to help clinicians avoid or alleviate burnout. Sanford Health's goal is to support the well-being of their clinicians throughout their entire career spectrum and to continually adapt to the changing needs of their physicians.
