Sixty-one percent of physicians are dissatisfied with their compensation in 2010, according to early data released by healthcare recruitment consulting group MedicusFirm last week. Even more, 6 percent of them said they were so frustrated with their income they would consider giving up practicing medicine, according to the MedicusFirm blog, DocHunterDiary.
The research may draw attention to physician recruitment, and even more importantly, retention efforts, as the national physician shortage continues.
MedicusFirm researchers asked 2,339 physicians in multiple specialties about their satisfaction level in 2010. Thirty-five percent were satisfied with their income for the amount of hours worked. However, only 2 percent reported that their income surpassed their expectations. Emergency medicine and psychiatry reported the greatest gains of the 19 specialties evaluated. Overall, compensation didn't change much from 2009 to 2010 (-0.14) compared to the 2008 to 2009 average year-over-year change (+4.6 percent).
In addition, MedicusFirm research revealed that physicians prefer email and postal mail to hear about new practice opportunities.
Last week, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)'s physician compensation survey stated that internists, psychiatrists, dermatologists, neurologists, and general surgeons reported increased compensation. Radiologists, anesthesiologists, and gastroenterologists saw decreases.
For more:
- read the MedicusFirm blog
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