Survey: American physicians satisfied with career choice despite challenges

A survey of 1,200 American physicians, residents and medical students found that nine out of 10 physicians are satisfied with their career choice despite common challenges, according to a press release from the AMA.

The AMA conducted the survey in February and concluded respondents are dealing with administrative burdens, stress and lack of time. For residents, the major challenges included long hours and on-call schedules.

Helping people was determined to be the top motivator, with three-quarters of medical students, residents and physicians citing it as the reason they chose their respective careers. In addition, 61% said they would recommend the career path to others, and 73% said they knew before the age of 20 that they wanted to be physicians.

“Physicians may be discouraged at times, but almost every single one of us remains confident in our decision to enter medicine and continues to be driven by our desire to help our patients,” Andrew W. Gurman, MD, president of the AMA, said in the release.