The Ninth Future Physicians of America survey report that included the opinions of 1,462 medical students from August / September of 2014 announced the following results:

  • Almost three quarters of medical students desire to work in a larger health system or hospital. Only 10% want to work in a solo or partnership practice. Compared to last year, the solo / partnership ambition went down by 7% (2013: 17%) and the desire to work in a larger system went up by 5% (2013: 70%).
  • 60% of the respondents made work-life balance their top concern pushing “moving ahead of being a good physician” down in their priority. (In 2013 55% of respondents choose ”being a good physician” as their top priority and only 51% made work-life balance their main concern.
  • Almost all respondents felt that it is important to work with extended care teams (registered nurses, PA’s, specialists, medical staff) in order ensure high quality care but only two–thirds (66%) feel they are being prepared to conduct the task of care coordination. 20% actually feel that their training is merely adequate.
  • The majority of medical students (65%) feel they don’t know enough about accountable care organization (down from 72% in the previous year).

Healthcare is changing and so is the mindset and the required skill set of physicians to adapt to these changes. Gone are the years where clinical skills were the only and main skill set that was important to be a successful physician.

The majority of medical students feel that they are not getting sufficient training to be prepared for a successful career in healthcare. That’s why additional curriculums on teamwork,life skills, and leadership are essential if health care organizations want to deliver quality health care combined with financial sustainability.

Unfortunately, most healthcare organizations feel comfortable with crisis management but not with preventative care when it comes to their physicians. The costs include turnover (not only of physicians but also highly trained staff ), medical malpractice, and burnout. I always wonder how much longer they are able to afford this?