The best and worst states to practice medicine

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

Hannah murhphy headshot

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.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”