Here's Why Physicians Are Quitting Medicine

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Source: MedPage Today

Original: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/generalprofessionalissues/119877...

Published: Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:59:54 -0500

More than a third of doctors (35%) considered leaving medicine as of early 2025, with personal exhaustion as the main reason, followed by retirement and clinical demands[1]. Doctors working in critical care, emergency medicine and hospital medicine (45%), followed by doctors in family medicine (40%), cardiology and psychiatry (38%) want to leave medicine the most[1]. Conversely, doctors in endocrinology (20%) and dermatology (18%) show less interest in leaving their profession[1]. Physician incomes remain stagnant – 62% of respondents said their practice income was the same as last year[1]. According to data from 2024, up to 27% of medical groups saw a physician leave or retire early due to burnout[2]. The main sources of attrition include an increased workload from more patients following the departure of other doctors, problems with information systems and technological changes[2].