Stress Busters
8. Fargo, North Dakota
The Basics
North Dakota is a happy, family-oriented state.
Physicians here have the highest income and highest employed status in the nation.
Fargo residents seem very content and not prone to stress, but they're rather isolated.
State Profile: Though North Dakota's oil boom has subsided, the state has been rated the third happiest and the sixth most family-friendly. It has the 10th lowest violent crime rate and has been rated the 19th safest state, but it is reported to have the fourth worst drivers for accidents and fatalities.
Relief for Doctors: The state has the 12th healthiest population, and patients enjoy the third highest rate of employer-sponsored health insurance in the country. Physicians here have the highest income and the highest level of employed status in the nation.
City Profile: Fargo residents know how to deal with life's problems. The city has long, hard winters, with strong winds, and it's a 3-and-a-half-hour drive to Minneapolis, the nearest big city, but the city's botanic garden is designed to inspire mental reflection and rejuvenation. The city has been rated the sixth happiest and healthiest population, the 10th least stressed, and the 15th most livable city in the country. It is also cited as the 16th best-run city and the 22nd best college town.
9. Portland, Maine
The Basics
Maine ranks high in well-being, and it is safer than many other states.
Physicians here are more likely to have a manageable patient volume.
Portlanders are generally happy, despite harsh winters.
State Profile: Maine is the most rural state in the union, with 61.3% of its residents living in rural areas.[2] Residents rank fourth highest in the nation for well-being and are the 10th best drivers for accidents and fatalities. The state has the second lowest violent crime rate in the nation.
Relief for Doctors: Patients are rated the 15th healthiest population in the nation, and they have the fifth highest rate of health insurance coverage. Maine has the second highest hospital patient satisfaction in the nation, and the state has the fourth highest proportion of primary care physicians to population. Physicians here also have the 16th fewest medical board disciplinary actions but the eighth highest number of malpractice lawsuits per capita.
City Profile: Portland, though the largest city in Maine, retains the slower pace of a small New England town. Winters are long and cold, with 50-110 inches of snow, but the city has been rated the fifth happiest in the country with the eighth highest well-being among mid-sized cities.
10. Overland Park, Kansas
The Basics
Residents of Kansas have a low divorce rate.
Physicians here face a somewhat less harsh medical board.
Overland Park offers a low-stress lifestyle and is an epicenter for soccer.
State Profile: Kansas, with its wide expanse of prairie, is an ideal state for bird watching. It ranks in the middle on a lot of measures, such as the 24th happiest and the 22nd most livable state, but it has the 10th lowest divorce rate, the eighth lowest cost of living, and the 11th best drivers for accidents and fatalities.
Relief for Doctors: For medical-legal issues, this is a good state. The state has the 14th fewest medical board disciplinary actions and the 22nd lowest number of malpractice lawsuits. Otherwise, it does not stand out in other doctor-related indices that were reviewed.
City Profile: Overland Park, the state's second-largest city, has been named the eighth least stressed and the 14th most livable city in the nation. It has been rated the number-one US soccer city and has a $36 million soccer complex. The city has more than 1800 acres of open space, including 72 parks and the 300-acre Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Leigh Page. Best Places to Practice to Avoid Burnout - Medscape - May 10, 2017.
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