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Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Given all of the challenges that come with being a physician these days, doctors have a lot on their plates. The majority of physicians still enjoy medicine, however, and have rich personal lives. More than 15,000 physicians in over 29 specialties provided insight on their happiness at work and at home.
Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% due to rounding.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
More than three quarters of physicians responded that they were happy, whether it was somewhat, very, or extremely. In a 2017 Harris poll of Americans aged 18 and older, 33% said they were happy.[1]
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Rheumatologists, otolaryngologists, endocrinologists, and pediatricians are among the happiest outside of their medical work. Last year, those among the happiest were allergists, dermatologists, emergency physicians, and ophthalmologists. Among the least happy are cardiologists and infectious disease specialists, in that position for the second year in a row.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
While the percentage of male and female physicians indicating low self-esteem was nearly identical, men indicated much higher self-esteem than women.
Carol A. Bernstein, MD, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at New York University School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health, says she believes that major causes for the discrepancy are ongoing cultural issues in medicine and in our culture overall. While women and men are entering medical school in equal numbers, she says that male physicians are more frequently promoted and advanced in their careers than are women.
"There is also the impression that women are more likely than men to acknowledge their insecurities," she says. "Women will more frequently admit that they lack confidence and state that they are struggling."
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Plastic surgeons, urologists, ophthalmologists, and endocrinologists were among those with the highest self-esteem. Those working in infectious diseases, oncology, and internal medicine reported the lowest levels.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Over three quarters of physicians said that their profession has a positive or very positive impact on their self-esteem, while only 4% said it has a negative or very negative effect.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
When it comes to Internet use, physicians spend less time online than do other Americans. Data from USC Annenberg found that the average American spends 24 hours online per week, up from 9.4 hours in 2000.[2] Seventy percent of physicians spend up to 10 hours per week online for personal use, while only 4% spend 21-30 hours on the Internet like their fellow Americans.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Physicians spend as much time online for work as they do for themselves, according to this year's survey. More than three quarters of physicians reported spending up to 10 hours per week using the Internet for their medical work, while 4% said they spend 31 or more hours online for that purpose.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
The majority of physicians are currently married or in a committed relationship, with 85% either married or living with a partner. Seven percent reported being single and a similar amount reported being divorced.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
While being a physician can take a toll on a marriage, the majority of respondents (84%) described their marriage as very good or good. A much smaller amount (3%) said their marriage was poor or very poor. According to a 2017 Wevorce poll, 75% of Americans consider themselves to be in a happy marriage.[3]
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, and urologists reported the happiest marriages in this year's survey. Meanwhile, psychiatrists, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists reported the least happy marriages among all specialties.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Eight in 10 male and female physicians described their marriage as very good or good in this year's survey. A similar percentage of doctors, both male and female, rated their marriages as poor or very poor.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Seven in 10 physicians reported having a religious or spiritual belief, while nearly a quarter said they do not. This is similar to the results of the 2018 Medscape report, but lower than the nearly 80% who described themselves as religious in the 2015 report.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Toyota (20%), Honda (16%), and BMW (10%) were some of the most popular cars among physicians for the second year in a row. Respondents were allowed to choose as many automobiles as applied.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
The average number of vacation days taken by Americans in 2017 was 17.[4] In our survey, nearly a quarter of all physicians reported taking 5 or more weeks of vacation each year, yet the majority take less. Forty-three percent of doctors take 3 or 4 weeks of vacation annually, while 28% take 1 or 2 weeks.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Physicians as a group are not a hard-drinking crowd. Almost two thirds (65%) have two or fewer drinks per week. Only 8% of physicians have at least one drink each day.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Nearly half of all physicians said they are working to lose weight, while a third are trying to maintain their current weight. Only 18% indicated that they are not actively trying to control their weight, and 1% expressed that they would like to gain weight.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
Female physicians are more inclined than their male counterparts to want to lose weight (52% vs 46%). Meanwhile, more men (34% vs 29% of women) indicated that they are trying to maintain their current weight.
Keith L. Martin | January 9, 2019 | Contributor Information
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that for substantial health benefits, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, or an equivalent combination of the two.[5] Nearly a quarter of physicians said that they exercise four to five times a week, with another 11% indicating physical activity as part of their everyday routine. One in 10 physicians reported not exercising at all.
Best & Worst Places to Practice 2018: Happiness in Work and Home Life
Medscape looked at factors that contribute to enjoyment in life and in medical practice, and chose the places most likely to contribute to a happy existence for physicians.Medscape Features Slideshows, May 2018
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Keith L. Martin
Editorial Director
Medscape Business of Medicine
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References
Sifferlin A. Here's how happy Americans are right now. Time. July 26, 2017. Source Accessed November 6, 2018.
Cole JI. Surveying the digital future. Center for the Digital Future/USC Annenberg. 2017. Source Accessed November 5, 2018.
Wevorce. Poll: Most marriages are happy. January 9, 2017. Source Accessed November 6, 2018
State of American Vacation 2018. Project: Time Off. May 8, 2018. Source Accessed November 6, 2018.
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