The top two cities to practice medicine are Apex, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas, according to a report by Medscape.
Apex garners kudos--despite the average 2015 physician compensation of $273,000, which is about $15,000 below the national average. The state boasts an affordable cost of living, though housing is more expensive in the Raleigh-Durham area. Still, the area is home to six research hospitals and 100 community hospitals and Raleigh and Durham place in the top quintile and second quintile, respectively, on WalletHub, for cities to find a job, according to the report.
With its business-friendly environment and average physician compensation of $282,000 in 2015, Austin is a city of choice for young physicians. While this is a growing city--and perhaps even getting "awfully crowded," according to the report--it's also attracting the attention of tech giants such as Google and Dell. Complete with food trucks and music festivals that attract younger doctors, Austin's population is projected to grow.
Still, it's difficult to practice medicine in some Southern states, according to the report. Above average unemployment, low physician compensation and a significant lack of Medicaid coverage, for instance, make Albuquerque, New Mexico, a difficult city to practice medicine.
While Charleston, West Virginia's doctors earn more than $10,000 above the national average, the state scores lowest among the 50 states according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which includes factors such as purpose, social, physical and community measures. The state is also plagued by a high unemployment rate of 7.3 percent, reports Medscape.
To learn more:
- check out the report
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