Now here’s another arresting and edifying list from Insider Monkey again, top 5 doctor specialties with best lifestyle. We can’t say that medical specialties are relaxing, but yet there are some among them that offer doctors a better and more calm lifestyle, with higher income, less working hours and happier life. Now we’re going to speak about them for this time. If you are planning to go for medical school, you should check out this list at first.
When you managed to get into a medical school, you have to learn hard, but the real tough times will come after you get a residency at a hospital, wchich lasts from three to seven years, it depends on the specialty you chose. When you are a resident you have to work in the hospital around 80 hours per week, which means very long working hours. So you must prepare you will miss a good sleep for a couple of years.
Those who work in these specialties have to face with many difficulties during their carriers, such as chronic anxiety, stressful working conditions, frustration, long hours. Of course they have to struggle with burnout too, but the stats can be improved with the help of a healthier environment. Also we can see a very sad stats: in the United States there is a doctor every day, who commits suicide. Unfortunately medicine is one of the professions that gives the most suicide annually. What is the solution? There is an obvious conclusion: doctors should work less, it’s not only essential for the medicals, but for the patients too, since the less a medical is overburdoned, the less medical errors can happen. On the other hand more and more physicians are needed as the population is getting old, people’s lifestyle is unhealthy, and is growing rapidly. Therefore the shortage will be between 42,600 and 121,300 physicians in the United States by 2030.
So if you want to be a physician, you can expect a nice future if you study well. What are the top medical specialties? Well, they are radiology, cardiology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, gastroenterology, they all make more than $350K a year. Naturally money is not everything, but we all know the fact if you have enough money you can afford more things to have a happier and healthier life. Nevertheless we mustn’t forget about the stressful factors that concern every physician, so this situation hasn’t been solved yet.
As for me, I haven’t been to hospital yet, as I have never been seriously ill, but my relatives have. I extremely look up to doctors, for their exhausting, stressful and responsible profession. In my country health care is in ruins, medicals are extremely overburdoned, exploited and – what a shame! – underpaid. They struggle not only with extremely long working hours, but serious burnout too. In my country doctors don’t really commit suicide – simply they don’t have time to do it. Instead, they die in their 50’s since they can’t lead a healthy life: they work a lot, don’t have to eat properly, or to have a holiday, and “of course” they have lots of night shifts a month. That’s why, young residents tend to leave the country and work in Western Europe, the US, Canada. Incomes should be increased drastically here at first. This is the sad facts about health care in my home country, so I believe that medicals in the United States are in better situtaion, but of course they have to face with lots of difficulties as we have mentioned before.
Now, without a further ado, come with us to check out the top 5 doctor specialties with best lifestyle!
5. Ophthalmology
The first specialty we have now is ophthalmology. Their average working hours they have to fulfill are 47 hours per week, and weekends are free unless there’s an emergency. According to surveys the really lead a happy life outside work. Perhaps the reason is that they have to face with death very rarely.
4. Anesthesiology
Anesthesiology has got the 4th place on Insider Monkey’s list, as the annual earnings are great, $386 000, while working hours are around 40 per week. So this specialty is rather well-balanced between work and life. If we see the numbers, more than 80% of them are married or live with partner, we can conclude that their lifestyle is really among the bests.
3. Radiology
Radiology got the 3rd place on this list for now, as radiologists are in the top 5 with the best lifestyle. Their earnings are $401 000 a year, while the average working hours are 48 per week. Those who choose this specialty has to learn other medical disciplines as well, in order to be excellent in their specialty. And another good thing: approximately one-third of radiologists go for vacation for more than six weeks every year.
2. Emergency medicine
It’s about good scheduling and shift work now, but their are night shifts as well. Income in emergency medicine specialty is 350 000 USD/year, while the average working hours are 43 a week. If you check out the data you can see the earings are satisfying and all with this compensation for the night shifts you can have a happy lifestyle.
1. Dermatology
Position of dermatology has been high in the last few years, as we can see. It was on the top of the list of the happiest medical specialties in 2017, and in 2018 as well. The average working hours are 42 per week, and the earning is 392 000 USD/year. Burning out threatens them the least of all, while 70 % of them lead a healthy life. Other good thing, that there’s no emergency in this specialty. These were the 5 doctor specialties with best lifestyle. We hope you enjoyed reading this list, and if you are about to go to a medical school, wchich specialty will you choose?
