More than one-third of academic physicians reported that they intend to leave their current institution within the next two years, according to a cross-sectional survey of 18,719 in the role at 15 academic-affiliated health systems.
Those who reported wanting to plan an exit cited burnout and lack of fulfillment as primary reasons behind their plans, according to the study led by researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and published Dec.15 in JAMA.
Among medical subspecialties, nearly half of the physicians in anesthesiology reported the highest intention to leave within the next two years, at 46.8%.
Meanwhile, the subspecialty with the lowest reported turnover intent were physicians in nuclear medicine, in which only 13.6% intend to leave.
Here's how each specialty stacked up regarding burnout and fulfillment rates as reported by physicians:
High burnout rates, low professional fulfillment:
- Anesthesiology
- Pulmonary Disease
- Family Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
High professional fulfillment, lower burnout rates:
- Neuroradiology
- Neurological Surgery
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Lower burnout levels, lower professional fulfillment:
- Pain Medicine
- Pediatric Subspecialties
High burnout rates and high professional fulfillment:
- Urology
- Hematology/Oncology
Across the board, the research showed there was an association between professional fulfillment and intent to leave. Physicians in subspecialties with higher burnout rates and lower levels of fulfillment are more likely to report intent to leave.
"Our study also provides novel information about the prevalence of (intention to leave), burnout, and professional fulfillment across medical subspecialties in the period of 2019 to 2021, coinciding with the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," the authors wrote of their findings. "This timing potentially contributes to high levels of burnout… seen in specialties such as anesthesia, pulmonology, and emergency medicine. These findings are relevant to predictions of substantial shortages in emergency medicine and other front-line medical specialties, as well as the growing proportion of unfilled residency slots in some areas."