Physician Workforce

Ninety percent of physicians said they have experienced either clinical or colloquial depression in Medscape's "Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2024" released Jan. 26.

From provider burnout to physicians leaving their positions, here are nine workforce updates that Becker's reported on in January:

Nearly one-third of academic physicians said they plan to leave their institutions in the short term, according to a study published Dec. 15 in JAMA Network Open. 

In October, American Medical Association president Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, referred to the physician shortage as an "urgent crisis," leading to strain on physicians, administrative burdens and growing consolidation across the healthcare field.

Nearly one-third of physicians said they have experienced clinical depression, while another 67% said they've faced colloquial depression in Medscape's 2024 "Physician Burnout and Depression Report."

Nearly half of physicians said increasing compensation was the No. 1 solution that could address burnout in the healthcare space, according to Medscape's "Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2024" released Jan. 26.

Five physician specialties reported higher burnout rates in Medscape's 2024 "Physician Burnout and Depression Report" than last year's report.

Twenty-six percent of physicians are thinking of exploring careers outside of medicine, a recent survey found.

Job burnout is the leading factor fueling depression among physicians, according to Medscape's 2024 "Physician Burnout and Depression Report."

Emergency medicine is the most burnt-out physician specialty, according to Medscape's 2024 "Physician Burnout and Depression Report."