The best and worst states to practice medicine

Hannah Murphy | | Health Exec | Compensation
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Medscape’s most recent report ranking the best and worst places to practice medicine offers new insights into which states offer providers the best balance between their professional and personal lives. 

The 2023 report rates the 24 best and 5 worst states for practicing medicine based on factors such as compensation, burnout rates, residents’ overall health, tax burden and cost of living. The report also takes into account the cost of malpractice insurance premiums—something that varies widely between regions and has been reported as having significant influence on where physicians decide to practice medicine. 

The 15 states voted as the best places to work are: 

  1. Idaho 

  1. North Dakota 

  1. Minnesota 

  1. Wisconsin 

  1. North Carolina 

  1. Utah 

  1. South Dakota 

  1. Virginia 

  1. Nebraska 

  1. New Hampshire 

  1. Washington 

  1. Florida 

  1. Oregon 

  1. Iowa 

  1. Maine 

  1. Tennessee 

  1. California 

  1. Texas 

  1. Indiana 

  1. Georgia 

  1. Colorado 

  1. South Carolina 

  1. Alabama 

  1. Delaware 

As far as the states listed as the worst places for physicians to practice, lower compensation, higher tax burdens, higher cost of living, higher malpractice premiums and a lack of job opportunities were all driving factors in their rank. 

The five worst states/districts to practice in are: 

  1. Washington, DC 

  1. Maryland 

  1. Connecticut 

  1. New Mexico 

  1. West Virginia 

Malpractice premiums appear to play a significant role in a state’s ranking. Even states with ample job opportunities and low-to-moderate cost of living were ranked poorly due to their high malpractice premiums. With new data revealing that one in three physicians will be sued during their medical career, and with premiums increasing (substantially in some areas) for several years in a row, malpractice insurance is likely to continue to physician workforce for the foreseeable future. 

The full report can be viewed here. 

Related:

Burnout is causing clinicians to say goodbye to healthcare
25% of clinicians want to switch careers, mostly due to burnout
Medical liability premiums surge again
Hannah murhphy headshot
Hannah Murphy

In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.

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