Looking at today’s workforce numbers can feel overwhelming to medical students trying to make decisions about their careers. However, the reality of physician shortages doesn’t mean you should pick the most “in-demand” specialty. Job security is important, but here’s why prioritizing your passion is the best long-term bet for your career.
Shortages are impacting physicians across nearly every specialty.
While choosing a specialty shouldn’t rely entirely on the current medical landscape, it is important to know what you’re jumping into. Recent physician workforce projections show that 31 of the 35 specialties reported on will have shortages by 2037.
These shortages are often worse in rural areas, which can create a domino effect on physicians and staffing. The bigger the shortage in a particular specialty, the more understaffed hospitals are likely to be, and the higher the likelihood of physicians facing burnout, leading to more shortages.
But physician shortages can create both challenges and opportunities for medical students and early career physicians. While projected shortfalls in certain specialties may cause some hardship, they also give physicians negotiating power and more options to choose between when it comes to practice settings, locations, and schedules.
While it can feel daunting to look at workforce projections, understanding the medical landscape you’re entering can empower you to make strategic career decisions.
It’s tempting to choose a specialty based on demand, but choosing based on passion is a better bet.
It’s okay to account for the physician shortage when choosing your specialty—but it shouldn’t be the only factor influencing your decision.
In a recent Medscape article, Dr. Scott Hollenbeck, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, gave this advice to medical students thinking through their career options: “You want to do something you are passionate about, at the end of the day. Find something that resonates with you, and if you do, you’ll be successful.”
Job security is important, but job security alone isn’t enough to sustain you throughout your medical career. Medicine is a demanding profession, so it’s important to choose something you’re passionate about: that’s what will give you the energy and motivation you need to thrive.
With locum tenens, you can follow your passion while contributing to the community.
Choosing the specialty you love doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact in addressing the physician shortage. The reality is, shortages are impacting nearly every specialty, especially in rural locations, where it’s harder to find and retain physicians across the board.
With locum tenens, you can make a contribution in hospitals and communities in need of good physicians while growing in your career.
For physicians just starting out, locums offers a unique advantage, allowing you to explore different practice settings and patient populations and expand your skill set by learning from many different medical teams.
Using temporary assignments to test drive different practice environments within your chosen specialty can also help you refine your professional goals, not to mention, it’s great for building your network early in your career.
The ongoing shortages across multiple specialties mean that skilled physicians will remain in demand regardless of their chosen field. While that reality can feel intimidating, it also gives you the freedom to choose your path based on what type of medicine you really want to practice. By starting with passion, leveraging strategic opportunities like locum tenens, and staying flexible and adaptable, you’ll position yourself to thrive professionally while making a meaningful contribution in the healthcare field.
