Doctors play a critical role in society by diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries. However, the workload and responsibilities vary significantly between different types of doctors. When examining which doctors tend to have the lightest workload and most regular hours, several factors need to be considered including specialty, practice setting, geographic location, and seniority.
Work Hours by Specialty
When looking at the average number of hours worked per week, doctors in some specialties tend to work fewer hours than others. According to various surveys and reports, the medical specialties with the lightest average workloads include:
- Psychiatry – Approximately 43-55 hours per week on average
- Dermatology – Approximately 40-45 hours per week on average
- Pathology – Approximately 40-50 hours per week on average
- Radiology – Approximately 40-55 hours per week on average
- Ophthalmology – Approximately 40-60 hours per week on average
Meanwhile, some of the specialties with the longest average work weeks include:
- General surgery – Approximately 60-80 hours per week on average
- Obstetrics and gynecology – Approximately 45-90 hours per week on average
- Internal medicine – Approximately 55-60 hours per week on average
- Pediatrics – Approximately 45-80 hours per week on average
- Emergency medicine – Approximately 45-60 hours per week on average
The lighter workloads in specialties like psychiatry, dermatology, and radiology may be due to more regular schedules with fewer emergencies and on-call duties. Many also tend to have higher percentages of doctors working in private practice settings.
Work Setting Differences
In addition to specialization, the type of work setting a doctor is in can impact their workload and hours. Doctors in private practice settings tend to work fewer hours than those employed in hospitals and academic medical centers. According to Medscape physician surveys, the average hours worked per week by setting are:
| Practice Setting | Average Hours Worked/Week |
|---|---|
| Private Practice | 46 hours |
| Academic Medical Centers | 53 hours |
| Hospitals | 51 hours |
The lighter workload for private practice physicians may be attributed to more control over scheduling and patient volume as well as less time spent on administrative duties. However, practices vary greatly based on size, subspecialty, call duties, and other factors.
Geographic Differences
Location also plays a role in the average workload for physicians. Rural areas tend to have lower doctor to patient ratios which leads to physicians taking on more patients and appointments. Urban areas, particularly large metropolitan cities, tend to have higher concentrations of doctors competing for business. This allows for more selectivity in patient volume. Some geographic trends in physician work hours include:
- Rural physicians work approximately 10% more hours per week on average than urban physicians
- Average physician work hours tend to be lowest in the Northeastern US compared to other regions
- States with the lowest average physician work hours include New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Hawaii
- States with the highest average physician work hours include South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Alabama
When choosing a practice location, the geographic physician density and population trends can give insight into what workloads may be realistic.
Workload and Seniority
Another factor to consider is that more senior doctors often have lighter workloads than younger doctors. There are several reasons for this trend:
- Senior doctors have more control over scheduling and patient volume
- They have less frequent call duties
- Their expertise allows them to diagnose and treat patients more efficiently
- Longevity leads to referrals and reputation that provide full schedules and reduced marketing duties
- They are more likely to have teaching and administrative roles versus only clinical work
In many practices and medical centers, senior physicians are able to shift more demanding work and unsociable hours to more junior colleagues. However, compensation is often tied to patient volume and productivity.
Factors Within Doctor’s Control
While workload often depends largely on external factors like specialty and work setting, doctors have some ability to control their schedules and responsibilities. Steps they can take include:
- Negotiating for lighter schedules when accepting a position
- Limiting patient volume and appointment availability
- Hiring midlevel providers like nurse practitioners to take on some clinical duties
- Sharing call responsibilities equitably with colleagues
- Saying no to additional administrative roles and teaching obligations
- Closing the practice to new patients when at capacity
However, doctors must balance lighter workloads with financial considerations of running an economically viable practice. There are always trade-offs involved.
Work-Life Balance Trends
One positive trend is that newer generations of doctors are placing a higher priority on work-life balance. Surveys show that millennials in medicine value flexibility and time off more than earlier generations. This is leading some practices and medical centers to rethink demanding schedules and offer options like job sharing and part-time tracks. Although compensation models have been slower to change, the culture is gradually shifting.
Conclusions on Lightest Doctor Workloads
In summary, the doctors who tend to have the lightest average workloads based on existing data include:
- Senior doctors nearing retirement
- Physicians in certain specialties like dermatology and radiology
- Those working in private practice settings
- Doctors practicing in competitive urban locations
However, workload depends heavily on individual circumstances and preferences. Some doctors in the lighter workload specialties work long hours by choice to maximize income. Others choose to limit their patient volumes to achieve more balance. There are always personal decisions around career priorities.
There are also systemic factors affecting physician workload that need addressed. Many argue that steps should be taken to ease administrative burden, hire more support staff, implement technology to improve efficiency, and provide doctors with more schedule predictability and discretion over their workloads. The consensus is that excessive physician burnout and fatigue from overwork benefits no one.
As medicine continues to evolve, new practice models will likely emerge that integrate more flexibility while still delivering high quality care. But there are no straightforward answers currently for doctors seeking to minimize their time commitments while also upholding their duties to patients. Workload ultimately depends on multi-faceted lifestyle choices and practice characteristics that differ significantly between specialties, settings, geographies, generations, and organizational cultures. Finding the optimal balance is a constant challenge.