Table 3. Reasons Given by Actively Practicing US Fellows of the American College of Surgeons for Considering Leaving Practice in the Next 2 Years (2018)a.
| Reason | Respondents, No./total No. (%) | P valuec | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic surgeons (n = 298)b | Private practice surgeons (n = 340)b | ||
| Retirement plans | 221/312 (71) | 219/352 (62) | .28 |
| Personal time requirements | 190/314 (63) | 209/353 (61) | .09 |
| Overall work time demands | 183/314 (58) | 225/353 (64) | .60 |
| Overall stress | 150/312 (48) | 200/353 (57) | .24 |
| Family responsibilities | 136/308 (44) | 146/346 (42) | .63 |
| Dissatisfaction with electronic medical record | 112/309 (36) | 191/342 (56) | <.001d |
| Changing career interest | 73/299 (24) | 66/341 (19) | .48 |
| Sense of isolation | 67/294 (23) | 103/337 (31) | .07 |
| Inadequate reimbursement | 70/306 (23) | 179/344 (52) | <.001d |
| Harassment | 65/300 (22) | 117/333 (35) | <.001d |
| Malpractice concerns | 54/302 (18) | 95/344 (28) | <.001d |
| Inadequate career advancement | 19/293 (15) | 12/320 (9) | .12 |
| Inadequate referral pattern | 26/297 (9) | 78/340 (23) | <.001d |
| Inadequate mentoring | 19/281 (7) | 12/318 (4) | .02d |
| Inadequate case diversity | 19/300 (6) | 32/336 (10) | .02d |
a
Results weighted to account for potential no-response bias. Questions were asked in a 5-point Likert scale with responses of 4 (agree) and 5 (strongly agree) considered positive responses.
b
Practice type was reported by respondents (“Are you currently primarily in a private practice setting?” and “Do you currently hold a medical school faculty appointment?”); respondents who answered no to both questions were excluded. Respondents who answered yes to both questions were considered to be in a private practice setting.
c
The χ2 test was used to assess differences.
d
P < .05 was considered statistically significant.