By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Vermont Gov. Signs Single Payer Bill into Law
    May 26, 2011
    Pharma R & D Spending is Down
    July 2, 2011
    Healthcare Spend at Historic Low
    August 8, 2011
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Good News and Bad News for Young Medical Professionals
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Good News and Bad News for Young Medical Professionals
BusinessHospital AdministrationTechnology

Good News and Bad News for Young Medical Professionals

Bill Crounse
Bill Crounse
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

There’s good news and bad news coming out of the latest Merritt Hawkins’ survey of medical residents in their final year of training. The good news for resident physicians is that hospitals and health systems are recruiting and hiring. In fact, these newly minted doctors who are about to enter the workforce are literally being overwhelmed with opportunities. That is especially true for physicians entering primary care, but it cuts across the specialties as well.

There’s good news and bad news coming out of the latest Merritt Hawkins’ survey of medical residents in their final year of training. The good news for resident physicians is that hospitals and health systems are recruiting and hiring. In fact, these newly minted doctors who are about to enter the workforce are literally being overwhelmed with opportunities. That is especially true for physicians entering primary care, but it cuts across the specialties as well. There just aren’t enough doctors to fill all of the open positions. However, there is also some bad new in the survey not only for these young physicians but for all of us who will depend on them for our future care.

It’s no secret that there are a lot of grumpy doctors in practice today. Medicine is going through a huge transformation. The burden of practicing medicine in a system that is increasingly bureaucratic where physicians often spend more time on administrative functions than patient care has been taking its toll on medical professionals for some time. Add to that decreasing reimbursements and massive pressures to see more patients in less time, and one can understand why some physicians are bailing from the profession or retiring early if they have the wherewithal to do so. But these are usually docs who are just burned out after many years of practice, not docs entering the profession who certainly should have selected their calling based on they way things are working now versus the way things used to be.

doctor quality of lifeI guess that’s why I was so concerned when I read in the Merritt Hawkins’ survey that fully 25 percent of physicians in their final year of residency training said they would select another career if they had their education to do over again. That’s one in four physicians who are starting their careers feeling that they may have made a big mistake. This after investing in an undergraduate degree (and sometimes a post graduate degree), spending four years in medical school, and three to six or more years in residency and fellowship. Imagine going through all of that and feeling you’d made a terrible mistake!

More Read

physician_sunshine-act
Countdown to the Physician Sunshine Act: Gloomy Days Ahead
Data Mining And Healthcare: How Treatment Can Be Improved By Data Collection
Bureaucrats vs. Entrepreneurs
Symptoms of Serotonin Imbalances You Need to Know
Case Study: Improving “The Market” Slide in a Medical Presentation

It’s understandable why many physicians in residency might be a little down on their chosen profession. They’ve been low men and women on the totem pole working often ridiculously long hours for relatively low pay. They carry lots of responsibility with very little control. Many have had to delay getting married, starting a family, purchasing a home or buying much of anything else for that matter. They’ve watched their high school and college friends move on in life with many of them already secure in successful careers. Meanwhile, these young medical professionals, often burdened with huge debt from years of education, are just now beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. And even that tunnel may be pretty long before their ship finally, if ever, comes to port. In fact, for doctors in primary care I’m not sure the economics ever turn positive if you consider the cost of education, years of lost earning potential, and all the hard work that if put into almost any other career might have a better payoff.

So what’s the big deal if we now have not just disillusioned doctors who are older but so many young ones too? The big deal is that these young physicians who are just now entering the profession are our future. They will be taking care of us and our family members. Our lives will literally be in their hands. Would you want to trust your life to a disillusioned, unhappy, and possibly even depressed physician? I know I wouldn’t.

technology and medicineI’m hopeful that technology will eventually ease some of the burden we are putting on physicians. Technology certainly holds the promise of streamlining clinical workflow, communication and collaboration, providing advanced decision support and analytics, reducing medical errors, and making it possible to care for patients from almost anywhere. Having said that, I am also fully aware that some of today’s technology is only adding to the burden. Technology needs to work for the clinician, not the other way around.

My company is obsessed with finding ways to improve life, work and the balance between the two. And for those young medical professionals who are a little bummed right now, I’d say never forget that your chosen  profession has always been a noble one and still is today. The satisfaction you will get from care and cure is greater than anything money can buy. And for those of us who will depend on these medical professionals in our time of need, I just ask that you remember to say “thank you” to the young men and women who’ve given up so much to answer this noble calling.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

The Downside of P4P

February 9, 2013

UCLA and VA Researchers Accidentally Discover Compound that Induces Hair Growth By Blocking Stress Related Hormone-They Filed for a Patent

February 17, 2011

AARP Under Investigation

May 11, 2011
Business

How Physician Practices Can Prepare For A Health Care Marketplace

April 22, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?