Why Have All the Doctors Gone? Insights Into Early Clinical Departure Among Physicians in the United States: A National Survey

INTRODUCTION: This national survey of clinically inactive physicians was conducted to identify the factors driving early exit from the clinical physician workforce in the United States, aiming to evaluate characteristics and motivations for leaving early. METHODS: A sample of clinically inactive physicians drawn from American Medical Association Physician Professional Data™ completed a survey between May and June 2024, with questions assessing demographics, education, clinical training, and reasons for leaving clinical practice. In addition to standard descriptive statistics, gender differences were also explored. RESULTS: < .001). The mean age of physicians who left clinical practice was 48.1 years, 9 years younger than observed in a similar cohort in 2008. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that physicians who have left practice early have had shorter clinical careers than in the past. Interventions to reduce "hassle factor" and workplace stress may address the motivations for leaving practice. CONCLUSION: Understanding early attrition from clinical practice may improve interventions in sustaining the physician workforce. Specifically, further study is needed for women physicians who were fully trained but never entered clinical practice, as these groups will likely contribute an outsized effect on the magnitude of the workforce shortage.