Center for Health Workforce Studies Finds Strong Demand for New York Physicians

The job market for new physicians who complete graduate medical education in New York is characterized by strong demand, according to a recent study from the Center for Health Workforce Studies.

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 21, 2016) -- The job market for new physicians who complete graduate medical education in New York is characterized by strong demand, according to a recent study from the Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) at the University at Albany's School of Public Health.

Based on an annual survey of doctors completing training in New York, the report, 2015 New York Residency Training Outcomes: A Summary of Responses to the 2015 New York Resident Exit Survey, found that demand for new physicians was strongest in family medicine, emergency medicine, adult psychiatry, dermatology, and general internal medicine. Demand was weakest for new physicians in specialties that included pathology, radiology, pediatric subspecialties, anesthesiology, and cardiology.

Analysis of survey data shows that less than half (45%) of survey respondents with confirmed practice plans were staying in New York, although there was wide variation by specialty. In-state retention was highest for dermatologists (82%), anesthesiologists (71%), and adult psychiatrists (62%). The lowest in-state retention rates included surgical subspecialists (21%) and general surgeons (27%). Respondents planning to practice outside of New York were asked their reasons for leaving the state. The most commonly cited reasons were proximity to family (28%) and inadequate salary (14%). Six percent of respondents indicated that they never intended to practice in New York.

A total of 2,897 of the estimated 5,308 physicians finishing a residency or fellowship training program completed the 2015 Exit Survey.

"There is a growing demand for physicians nationwide, especially those in primary care specialties," said CHWS Director Jean Moore. "It is important to monitor changing specialty-specific demand for new physicians, particularly as the health care delivery system undergoes rapid transformation, with a growing emphasis on primary and preventive care.

The study also found:

• The median starting income for new physicians grew by 5 percent from 2014 to 2015.
o Individual specialties with the highest median starting income were general surgery ($370,300), urology ($349,500), and orthopedics ($346,600).
o Individual specialties with the lowest starting income were general pediatrics ($142,000), adult psychiatry ($181,900), and pathology ($187,100).
• Forty-six percent of survey respondents were female, slightly less than in 2014 (48%).
• Fourteen percent of survey respondents were underrepresented minorities, slightly less than in 2015 (15%).

To view the full report, visit the CHWS website.

About the Center for Health Workforce Studies
Established in 1996, CHWS is an academic research organization, based at the School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). The mission of CHWS is to provide timely, accurate data and conduct policy relevant research about the health workforce. The research conducted by CHWS supports and promotes health workforce planning and policymaking at local, regional, state, and national levels. Today, CHWS is a national leader in the field of health workforce studies, and the only one with a unique focus on the oral health workforce.

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