10/26/2025
Physician Attrition Is Rising and It’s Not Just “Intent” Anymore
A new nationwide study just confirmed what many of us have been sensing: more physicians are actually leaving clinical practice, not just thinking about it. Attrition rose from 3.5% in 2013 to 4.9% in 2019, a small number on paper, but a huge shift in reality.
The data also showed that women physicians, those in rural areas, and those caring for higher-risk or older Medicare patients are leaving at higher rates. It’s clear that the pressures driving us to consider nonclinical options aren’t isolated—they’re systemic.
If you’ve been exploring or taking steps toward a transition, this study validates that you’re far from alone. The landscape of medicine is changing, and so are the ways physicians are redefining purpose, stability, and impact.
💬 What do you think: are you surprised by these numbers? Or do they just confirm what you’ve seen and felt firsthand?
(Study funded by The Physicians Foundation, published in Annals of Internal Medicine.)
Background: The United States faces a predicted shortage of 36 500 physicians by 2036, with an increasing proportion of physicians leaving clinical practice or expressing an intent to do so. Evidence is limited about the extent to which stated intent to leave clinical practice translates to actual.....