10 Medical Specialties with the Best Work/Life Balance

Medical Specialties with Good Work/Life Balance and Low Burnout Rates

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Posted in: Residency| The Medical Profession

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Selecting a medical specialty isn’t just about what you find interesting in medical school or how well you scored on Step 2 — it’s a massively important choice that will impact your entire life. For many medical students, I find a low potential for future burnout and good work/life balance is a compelling reason to make these decisions.

I developed this list of the least stressful medical specialties with several questions in mind for med school students preparing for The Match:

  • What is the schedule like? Can you count on a standard 9-5? What are the on-call expectations?
  • Are most patients you’ll see dealing with emergency issues or ongoing care for less critical conditions? (For instance, in oncology or emergency medicine, emergent and/or life-threatening cases are standard.)
  • What are the typical burnout rates for physicians in this specialty?
  • What is the personal life of doctors in the specialty? Should you expect to work long hours with varied work schedules, or can you take frequent vacations and get plenty of family time? Will you make high pay but get so little time away from work that you can’t enjoy it?

Below, I describe the least stressful medical specialties with the best work/life balance. Remember, being a physician doesn’t mean a life destined for burnout!

Statistics have been reported from the Medscape US Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023 and Medscape Family Physician Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2023.

WEBINAR: Exploring Medical Specialties – What to Think About and What it Takes 

1. Public Health & Preventive Medicine

Physician Burnout Rate: 37%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours

Patient Needs: Most work is done outside of patient care settings

Doctors in public health and preventative medicine have both the lowest rate of burnout and the second-highest level of happiness in their work (second to plastic surgeons) among all physicians, according to the latest reports. It’s probably the least stressful medical specialty overall, although it’s not always the most popular among medical students because of the rarity of patient interaction.

These medical professionals almost never work directly with patients but focus on disease prevention, education, and policy measures for larger populations as a whole.

Because they are more likely to work in academic, governmental, nonprofit, or corporate settings, these jobs offer a similar work/life balance to many professions outside of medicine, working the fewest hours of many doctors.

Related: The Best Pre-Med Majors & How to Choose 

2. Pathology

Physician Burnout Rate: 39%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours

Patient Needs: Most work is done outside of patient care settings

The remarkably low burnout rate for pathologists is probably due to the combination of predictable schedules, little to no patient interaction, and high salary expectation. As the doctors who diagnose a variety of illnesses, these doctors have a behind-the-scenes, low stress life, making them one of the best medical specialties for good work/life balance.

3. Cardiology

Physician Burnout Rate: 43%

Schedule Expectations: Hours vary; private practice offers standard office hours while cardiologists in hospital settings may work evening/weekend hours and/or frequently be on call

Patient Needs: Often major and/or life-threatening; mix of emergent and chronic cases

Cardiologists diagnose and treat more serious or emergent conditions and diseases than many of the doctors on my list, which should make this a high-stress job by most standards. Still, they report one of the lowest rates of burnout (eclipsed only by pathology and preventative medicine), possibly due to a combination of autonomy and income potential.

4. Nephrology

Physician Burnout Rate: 44%

Schedule Expectations: Hours vary; private practice offers standard office hours while nephrologists in hospital settings may work evening/weekend hours and/or frequently be on call

Patient Needs: Often major and/or life-threatening; mix of emergent and chronic cases

Similarly to cardiologists, nephrologists often treat serious cases and may work in private practice or hospital settings but also report some of the lowest rates of burnout throughout the medical profession.

5. Orthopedics

Physician Burnout Rate: 45%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours in office-based medical practice; orthopedic surgeons in hospital settings may work evening/weekend hours and/or frequently be on call

Patient Needs: Typically ongoing and chronic; may be complex and overwhelming (very rarely emergent or life-threatening)

Orthopedics, which includes orthopedic surgery as well as rheumatology and a few other sub-specialties, is often thought of as one of the lowest-burnout areas of specialty. 

Many orthopedic doctors focus on supporting patients with problems in the musculoskeletal system, which are rarely life-threatening. Despite this, orthopedic surgeons and specialists restore quality of life in a big way to many of their patients, which might be why orthopedics (including surgery) is one of the happiest medical professions.

6. Plastic Surgery

Physician Burnout Rate: 46%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours in office-based medical practice

Patient Needs: Often minor, ongoing, and chronic; may be emergent (rarely life-threatening)

Plastic surgeons are typically thought of as the surgeons with the lowest stress levels and lowest burnout in surgery as a whole, though they scored one percentage point higher than orthopedics. 

Patients often find their work personally meaningful, and plastic surgeons get the added benefit of rarely dealing with complicated insurance paperwork and reimbursements since it’s often a cash-only specialty.

It also doesn’t hurt that they are among the highest earners in medicine. Plastic surgeons make an average salary nearly 50% higher than the mean physician’s. Together, these factors make it unsurprising that plastic surgeons are the happiest of all specialists in the medical field!

General surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and orthopedic surgery are also associated with high job satisfaction.

Read Next: Average Residency Salary by Location and Post-Graduate Year (PGY) 

7. Psychiatry

Physician Burnout Rate: 47%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours, may be on-call outside standard hours depending on the practice

Patient Needs: Typically ongoing and chronic; may be complex and overwhelming (very rarely emergent or life-threatening)

While mental health conditions can be very challenging to treat, psychiatrists have the benefit of often working with patients in the long-term, developing relationships and strategizing how to best treat ongoing issues. They also enjoy predictable hours and a generally stable work environment.

8. Urology

Physician Burnout Rate: 47%

Schedule Expectations: Hours vary; private practice offers standard office hours while urologists in hospital settings may work evening/weekend hours and/or frequently be on call

Patient Needs: Often ongoing, and chronic; may be emergent (rarely life-threatening)

Urologists are some of the happiest doctors and report lower burnout levels than many other specialties in medicine. This is actually a reversal of a trend from a few years prior, which may be a sign that the efforts within urology to reduce burnout and improve work/life balance (as well as pay rates) have had an impact.

Like cardiologists and nephrologists, urologists have ample opportunity to choose between private practice settings (which are generally less stressful) and system/hospital settings (which are considered to offer less consistent work/life balance and overall job satisfaction).

9. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physician Burnout Rate: 47%

Schedule Expectations: Hours vary; private practice offers standard office hours while those in hospital settings may work evening/weekend hours

Patient Needs: Minor, ongoing, and chronic

PM&R physicians work with patients after an injury or illness to regain function and quality of life. 63% of these physicians report happiness with their jobs (which is on the high end, at least post-COVID). The workload for this specialty is usually predictable, though working in PM&R in a hospital setting is likely to translate to longer or less ‘9-5’ hours. 

Similar to orthopedics, PM&R is a specialty that involves very little to no life-threatening disorders for patients, but in which success means patients regain quality of life.

10. Ophthalmology

Physician Burnout Rate: 48%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours, some Saturdays

Patient Needs: Typically minor, ongoing, and chronic (very rarely emergent or life-threatening)

Ophthalmologists also have a better work-life balance and lower burnout rates than many other specialists. Most work from an office-based practice and are likely able to spend time with their families, similar to those working in non-healthcare settings. 

Learn what each specialty is like from the eyes of current residents. These free videos will introduce you to daily life in each specialty, along with the challenges and rewards of each.

11. Dermatology

Physician Burnout Rate: 49%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours

Patient Needs: Typically minor, ongoing, and chronic (very rarely emergent or life-threatening)

Dermatology is among the most competitive medical specialties for hopeful residents, and one reason is the combination of low-stress patient interactions with normal work hours and high salaries. In general, dermatologists have one of the best work/life balances in medicine.

Because of their quality of life, plus the fact that dermatology is among the top 10 medical specialties for both salary and physician happiness, this is a consistently competitive choice for students completing their medical education.

12. Allergy and Immunology

Physician Burnout Rate: 49%

Schedule Expectations: Usually standard office hours

Patient Needs: Typically minor, ongoing, and chronic (very rarely emergent or life-threatening)

Similar to dermatology and ophthalmology, allergy & immunology is a specialty that rarely sees long hours or very emergent patient cases. These doctors also may improve their income potential or work/life balance by maintaining a solo private practice, which isn’t something doctors in all specialties can easily do.

What Contributes to Physician Burnout?

Medscape’s 2023 “Physician Burnout & Depression Report” found that over half of physicians report being “burned out,” and nearly a quarter of respondents classified themselves as “depressed.

Percentage of Residents Burnt Out or Depressed

SOURCE: Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023

While I included details about patient needs as one way to identify less stressful specialties, most physicians actually report in the Medscape survey that the largest contributors to their burnout are excessive bureaucratic tasks, lack of respect from coworkers, excessive work hours, and insufficient compensation. On average, doctors spend over an hour and 45 minutes on paperwork each day!

It’s also important to note that burnout is significantly less common in solo-owned, office-based practices (regardless of specialty).

Chart with people who are burnout by work

SOURCE: Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023

One last feature that struck me as I researched this topic was that low-stress medical specialties were not necessarily those with the highest rates of happiness/job satisfaction. There is certainly overlap, but for instance, allergy & immunology is one of the least happy medical specialties

As you spend your final year in medical school and consider which specialties you’d prefer, don’t forget that your well-being is about more than just a low level of stress. It’s a combination of your own unique interests, needs, desires, family situation, and what will help you feel most satisfied in your career as a physician.

FAQs

According to the most recent Medscape survey, the specialties most likely to lead to burnout include:

  • Emergency Medicine (65%)
  • Internal Medicine (60%)
  • Pediatrics (59%)
  • OB/Gyn (58%)
  • Infectious Diseases (58%)
  • Family Medicine (57%)
  • Neurology (55%)
  • Critical Care (55%)
  • Anesthesiology (55%)
  • Pulmonary Medicine (54%)
  • Radiology (54%)
Medscape’s 2023 report on happiness among doctors found that these physicians reported the highest levels of happiness in their careers:
  • Plastic surgery (71%)
  • Public health and preventive medicine (69%)
  • Orthopedics (65%)
  • Otolaryngology (65%)
  • Urology (63%)
  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation (63%)
  • Ophthalmology (62%)
  • Dermatology (62%)
  • Pathology (62%)
  • Gastroenterology (62%)
  • Believe it or not, family medicine was once on my list (and many others’) of the least stressful medical specialties. However, although 85% of family medicine physicians reported happiness in their careers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, that percentage has now dropped to only 56%. 57% of family medicine doctors also report being burned out (#6 on the list), up from 47% prior to COVID-19.

    But even before the pandemic, primary care doctors ranked the third highest in terms of physician burnout. While private practice can offer reduced stress in some cases, the demands of paperwork, insurance, regulatory red tape, and an overwhelming patient load to maintain a high level of income all contribute to the stress of doctors in this specialty.

    Let Us Help You Match with Your Dream Residency Program

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    Picture of Amar Mandalia, MD

    Amar Mandalia, MD

    Dr. Mandalia is an accomplished medical writer with multiple manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and a practicing GI physician in the Orlando area. He is the Admissions Advisor for MedSchoolCoach and has extensive experience helping students get into medical school and residency.

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