2018 trends in medical specialty choice
Residency Program Insider, December 7, 2018
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Choosing a medical specialty to enter is perhaps the most important choice a medical student will make in his or her career as a physician. Many factors ultimately influence this decision, from level of compensation to the desired level of interaction with patients. With 2018 coming to a close, it’s a good time to examine trends among medical specialties for the year.
The highest-paying specialties and their average annual compensation are as follows:
- Plastic surgery: $501,000
- Orthopedics: $497,000
- Cardiology: $408,000
- Radiology: $401,000
- Dermatology: $392,000
Primary care fields were among the lowest-paying specialties. Included in the bottom five are the following:
- Internal medicine: $230,000
- Family medicine: $219,000
- Pediatrics: $212,000
According to more than 15,000 respondents in a survey regarding burnout and depression, burnout is down 9% compared to results from last year, although 15% of respondents reported experiencing depression. Physicians reported the lowest rates of burnout practice in the following specialties:
- Plastic surgery
- Dermatology
- Pathology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedics
Additionally, women made up the majority of residents in the specialties of obstetrics and gynecology (83% women) and pediatrics (73%) . Men made up a larger percent of the residents in orthopedic surgery (85% men) and neurological surgery (83%).
Source: American Medical Association
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