Forty-seven percent of physicians and pharmacists who finished medical or pharmacy school in the last five years said they are interested in leaving the healthcare field and working in the tech sector, according to a LinkedIn survey.
From Oct. 10-17, the professional networking site surveyed 502 U.S. physicians and pharmacists who finished their degrees in the last five years. The survey participants, who all have LinkedIn profiles, were chosen randomly and reflect different specialties and experience.
Physicians and pharmacists who expressed interest in moving to the tech sector said they were driven by the substance of the work (58 percent) and total compensation (57 percent). They felt their knowledge and experience in healthcare could apply to a new role in tech.
This group of healthcare professionals might include clinicians who found working in healthcare isn’t what they thought it would be, said Harry Greenspun, MD, CMO at consulting firm Guidehouse. It might also include physicians who "realize they want to take what they know in healthcare, and they want to change it."