Survey finds 90% of med students plan to avoid private practice

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of medical students plan to seek employment with a hospital or large group practice, according to the ninth annual Epocrates Future Physicians of America survey which sought the opinions of 1,400 medical students.

Just 10 percent plan to work for a private practice which is a 50 percent drop since 2008. Survey respondents cited the desire for work-life balance and a work environment free of administrative hassle as key factors. Almost 60 percent said they were dissatisfied with the instruction they receive related to practice management and ownership, as well as a lack of training for billing and coding.

"Training is structured around group and hospital settings, so the average student learns nothing about running a practice, according to Arvind Ravinutala, a third-year at University of Southern California School of Medicine, in a release. "Plus, hospital employers promise candidates a stress-free environment where they can focus on being a doctor without incurring further debt. For most, the choice is obvious."

Almost all (96 percent) of the students said they believe that to deliver high quality care, it is important to collaborate effectively with extended care teams, which can include registered nurses, physician assistants, specialists and medical staff. Sixty percent consider lack of communication between care teams the biggest obstacle to effective care coordination. Concerns about inadequate cross-team communication was acknowledged by 75 percent of students surveyed with the prediction that interoperability among EHR systems will advance healthcare and possibly reduce the fragmentation of care within the next 10 years.

Epocrates and athenahealth conducted the survey.