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Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
This report is based on Medscape's annual physician lifestyle survey, which asked doctors about their lifestyles and experience with burnout and depression. More than 15,000 physicians from 29 specialties participated this year. The current report covers such lifestyle issues as exercise, weight, religion, work satisfaction, and choice of car.
Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% due to rounding.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Physicians were asked to rank their happiness outside of work on a scale of 1 (extremely unhappy) to 7 (extremely happy). Half of physicians are very or extremely happy, while just 10% are extremely or very unhappy.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Allergists, dermatologists, emergency medicine physicians, and ophthalmologists are among the happiest outside of work. Cardiologists, public health physicians, and oncologists are among the least happy.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
When asked whether they have spiritual or religious beliefs, nearly three quarters (73%) of physicians claimed that they do, while only 27% said they do not. Of note, in the 2012 Medscape Lifestyle Report, (see slide 17) 83% of physicians said they had a belief system.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
When respondents with a belief system were asked whether it helps them cope with work stress, 76% answered "yes." According to the Mayo Clinic,[1] spirituality has many benefits for mental health and overall stress relief.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Physicians were asked to grade their own introversion or extroversion on a scale of 1 (very introverted) to 7 (very extroverted). Over a third (38%) fell in the middle or leaned toward introversion (35%), while just over a quarter (28%) tended to be more extroverted.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Most physicians are currently in a committed relationship, with 82% married or living with a partner. A much smaller percentage are single (11%) or divorced and not currently remarried (5%).
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
When it comes to choosing a spouse, nearly a quarter of physicians marry within the healthcare field. Twenty-one percent of respondents reported that they are married to another physician, while 26% have a spouse who is not a physician but is in the healthcare field.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
More men than women are married to someone within healthcare. Nearly two thirds (64%) of women said they married outside of the healthcare field compared with less than half (48%) of men.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
More than half of physicians said they have three or fewer close friends, and about a third said four to six. A gregarious 15% reported having seven or more.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Nearly half (49%) of physicians surveyed take 3 to 4 weeks of vacation per year, and 18% take even more. Still, a third of respondents said they take 2 weeks or less.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Employed physicians take slightly more vacation time than those who are self-employed: 69% of employed physicians take 3 or more weeks off each year compared with 63% of their self-employed peers.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Physicians were asked what cars they drive; they could choose as many as applied. Toyota is by far the most popular car among physicians. Honda follows, with other makes falling considerably behind.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Among both primary care physicians and specialists, the leading makes are Toyota and Honda. BMW was third among specialists, followed by Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. Fewer primary care physicians drove these cars.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Nearly half of physicians said they want to lose weight, and about a third (32%) said they are trying to maintain their weight. Only 19% reported that they are not doing anything to control their weight, and just 2% would like to gain weight.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Given societal pressures, it is not surprising that a somewhat higher percentage of female physicians reported trying to lose weight (52% vs 45% of men). A slightly higher percentage of men than women, however, said they are striving to maintain their current weight (34% vs 29%).
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends 2.5 hours of moderate exercise or an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity per week.[2] Nearly a fourth (21%) of physicians said they exercise once a week or less, while 11% say they don't exercise at all. Just over one third (35%) of respondents said they exercise two to three times a week, however, and the remainder even more often.
Carol Peckham | January 10, 2018 | Contributor Information
Many physicians tend not to drink much, with nearly half (49%) claiming that they have less than one drink (27%) per week and 22% not drinking at all. Only 8% reported that they have seven or more drinks each week.
Medscape's report looks at how happy physicians are and why, as well as the state of their marriage and self-esteem, what cars they drive, how much time they spend on the Internet, and much more.Medscape Features Slideshows, January 2019
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Contributor Information
Carol Peckham
Director, Editorial Services
Art Science Code LLC
New York, New York
Disclosure: Carol Peckham has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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