The combination of high medical school debt and relatively low pay is steering many young physicians away from general internal medicine, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Mark D. Schwartz, an internist and lead author of the study, said the best solution to this problem is to pay general internists more money, according to a news release from Yale School of Medicine. This adjustment may result in less pay for other specialists or physicians.
"Over a 40-year career, the total difference between a cardiologist and general internist is almost $3.5 million," Dr. Schwartz said in the release. He also attributed the difference to technology-focused fields paying much more than diagnostic management care.
Senior-level medical students who were surveyed also felt that internal medicine involved a heavier workload and more stress than other specialties.
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Mark D. Schwartz, an internist and lead author of the study, said the best solution to this problem is to pay general internists more money, according to a news release from Yale School of Medicine. This adjustment may result in less pay for other specialists or physicians.
"Over a 40-year career, the total difference between a cardiologist and general internist is almost $3.5 million," Dr. Schwartz said in the release. He also attributed the difference to technology-focused fields paying much more than diagnostic management care.
Senior-level medical students who were surveyed also felt that internal medicine involved a heavier workload and more stress than other specialties.
Related Articles on Physician Compensation:
Academic Hospitalists Earn $173K, Less Than Non-Academic Counterparts
Study Identifies Compensation, Time With Patients as Major Drivers of Surgeon Satisfaction
15 Statistics About Specialist Compensation