News: 43% of physicians made a career change during pandemic, survey shows

In a recent survey conducted by CHG Healthcare, 534 physicians were asked about their career changes over the last two years (April 2020 to April 2022). Findings showed 43% of physicians changed jobs, 8% retired, and 3% left medicine entirely during the pandemic, CHG Healthcare reported. The usual annual turnover rate was 6%-7% in the healthcare industry prior to COVID-19, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, meaning a biannual rate of 12%-14% compared to 43% now. This confirms the major disruption many facilities have seen in the physician workforce.

The survey found most physicians were motivated by a desire for better work/life balance in their decision for a career change. It also showed that career stage can be a large factor. Among the other motivations, mid-career physicians were more interested in better workplace culture, late career physicians in flexibility, and early career physicians in a desirable location. In their new positions, 39% went to different practice settings, 31% to locum tenens assignments, 25% to settings similar to their current practice, and 10% to telehealth.

Notably, 42% of physicians who did make a career change cited the pandemic as very influential or extremely influential in their decision. When asked how the pandemic influenced them, respondents primarily cited unsustainable levels of burnout and stress, unhappiness with their administration’s pandemic response, and unhappiness with the way medicine is changing. In open responses about other impacts of the pandemic, concerns about furloughs and lay-offs, safety, and family were noted. Of those who mentioned unhappiness with their administration, the top issues were poor leadership, lack of employer support, and insufficient staffing levels.

Editor’s Note: To read CHG Healthcare’s breakdown of their survey and its results, click here.