Nearly two-thirds of physicians (63%) would not want their children to pursue a career in medicine, according to a poll of 7,590 physicians on Doximity.
Among all physicians surveyed, 39% say that they would “probably not” not want their children to pursue medicine, while another 24% say they would “definitely not” want their children to pursue medicine. Overall, physicians were 2% less likely to want their children to pursue medicine in 2023, compared with previous Doximity poll results.
Younger physicians are even less likely to want their children to pursue medicine, according to the most recent poll. While 52% of physicians 70 and older would want their children to pursue medicine, only 28% of physicians aged 30-39 and 34% of physicians aged 40-49 would want their children to pursue a career in the field.
Older physicians may have had a better experience with their profession compared to younger physicians, including more autonomy and respect, and fewer administrative burdens and reimbursement challenges. As the cost of medical education continues to rise, 46% of medical students surveyed say they would not want their children to pursue medicine.
While there are likely multiple factors contributing to this sentiment, compensation may be an important variable. According to the Doximity 2024 Physician Compensation Report, although average physician compensation increased nearly 6% in 2023, significant economic and inflationary pressures continue to impact physicians’ real income. Only 31% of physicians surveyed in that report believe their compensation accurately reflects the level of expertise and effort required in their role.
Notably, several primary care specialties, which were among the lowest-paid specialties in 2024, were some of the most likely to report they either definitely do not want their children to pursue a career in medicine, or would want them to pursue a different specialty or clinical vocation. These specialties include medicine/pediatrics (51%), internal medicine (49%), family medicine (47%), and geriatrics (43%).
In contrast, multiple specialties that were among the top-paid specialties in 2024 were more likely to say they “definitely” want their children to pursue a career in medicine. These specialties included nephrology (35%), thoracic surgery (34%), ophthalmology (33%), and oncology (31%). Many of these specialties were also among the most supportive of their children going into medicine overall, regardless of specialty.
Variations in compensation could also help explain why men physicians (39%) are more likely than women physicians (32%) to report they want their children to go into medicine. In 2023, women physicians earned nearly $102,000 less than men physicians per year, on average, even after controlling for specialty, location, and years of experience. An analysis of Doximity’s physician compensation data from 2014-2019 estimated that over the course of a career, women physicians make over $2 million less than men physicians. Research also shows that women physicians are less likely to be promoted into leadership positions.
Additional factors, such as quality of life and personal safety, may also contribute to physicians not wanting their children to pursue a career in medicine. A recent Doximity survey of more than 2,600 physicians found that 85% are concerned about a patient finding their personal information online. PM&R physicians, who often make critical decisions about patients’ access to pain medications like opioids, reported the highest overall concern at 96%. This could help explain why 70% of PM&R physicians polled would not want their children to go into medicine.
Is the ‘Joy of Healing’ Missing from Modern Medicine?
Traditionally, medicine had been widely considered one of the most noble professions, but recent challenges seem to have deprived clinicians of the “joy of healing” instilled in the Hippocratic oath. Unfortunately, the modern patient visit is often a far cry from what physicians envisioned in medical school.
By 2036, the AAMC estimates that the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians. Encouraging more young people to pursue a career in medicine seems to be a critical step toward alleviating this shortage.
However, these poll results reflect a disillusioned physician workforce that is unlikely to recommend a career in medicine to their children. Physicians are sleeping less and taking more work home, while patients still struggle to get access to care. Growing administrative burden and reduced staffing continue to erode physician job satisfaction.
“Two of my three daughters did follow me into medicine,” said Richard Lipton, MD, an anesthesiologist in Florida. “I did encourage both of them to do so, but things have changed significantly since that time. Whether medicine is still a ‘noble profession’ is in the eye of the beholder. We may individually subscribe to a certain philosophy of care that can no longer be provided due to outside constraints. Today, I would no longer encourage [my children] to follow [me into medicine], which really is terrible, because I loved my career in anesthesiology.”
Despite these challenges, many physicians continue to find pride, joy, and purpose in their work and would like to see their children follow in their footsteps.
“As an invasive cardiologist, I have the privilege of saving heart attack victims from death,” said Venkat Warren, MD, a cardiologist in California. “Every time I successfully resuscitate a human life and tell families that the patient is out of danger, it gives me immense satisfaction that I am in the right profession and specialty. I would love my children to pursue the same profession and specialty.”
Medicine Is Changing, Hopefully For the Better
New technologies are beginning to shift the way physicians practice and will hopefully bring some much-needed relief. Many hope the widespread adoption of AI in health care will change the medical field for the better by allowing physicians to streamline administrative and documentation tasks, so they can spend more time with their patients. In a Doximity survey of more than 1,000 physicians, 75% said reducing administrative burden could meaningfully improve physician overwork and burnout. This response was even more prevalent than increasing physician compensation or reducing patient caseloads.
Many physicians are also calling for loan forgiveness programs and increased funding for scholarships that can better support the next generation of medical students. Over time, such systemic changes in medicine could help alleviate physician burnout and improve job satisfaction, which may encourage physicians to pass on their passion for medicine to the next generation.
Russell Golkow, MD, a diagnostic radiologist practicing in New York and California, shared his expectations and hopes for the future, “As for the economic, regulatory, political, and other ancillary (and often oppressive) circumstances that create so much dissatisfaction in our profession, [those] will change, though we cannot necessarily predict how. Meanwhile, the core mission and purpose of our worthy profession remains the same. By all means, give advice [to your children], but listen carefully and tread softly.”
