Radiologists aren’t much happier outside of the office than the average physician specialist, according to a Jan. 8 survey from Medscape.
Nearly 51% of imaging experts claimed to be happy with life outside of their practice, ranking middle of the pack among all specialties, and similar to psychiatry, oncology, cardiology and nephrology. For comparison, rheumatologists and general surgeons were most happy (60%), while critical care workers and neurologists rounded out the bottom of the list (44%).
The “Medscape Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2020: The Generational Divide” surveyed more than 15,000 doctors, about 450 of whom were radiologists.
Physicians from nearly 30 specialties were also asked how satisfied they were in their marriages. And among the 80% of doctors who did have a ring on their finger, radiologists ranked low among the happiest in matrimony.
Fifty-one percent of imagers said they were happy, tying a few other groups, including rheumatology, emergency medicine and neurology. Only psychiatry (48%) and critical care professionals (45%) were lower. Nephrology and physical medicine & rehabilitation ranked highest at 61% each.
Sometimes, however, it doesn’t matter what specialty a doctor practices in, it’s more about priorities, Michael Myers, a psychiatrist and marriage counselor for physicians, said to Medscape.
“You have to be careful about concluding that if you are in a branch of medicine that gives more time for personal and family life, you will automatically have a happier marriage,” Myers said. “It’s more about how high of a priority you make personal and family life.”
Much of the survey was broken down by generation, polling millennials, Generation X and baby boomers. A majority (85%) of those in all three groups described their marriage as “good” or “very good,” ranging from 49%-56% for the latter and 30%-34% in the former.
Read more from the survey here, including which generation of physicians works the most hours, drinks the most alcohol and exercises most often.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.