From sea to shining sea Stressed out? Medscape says you should move to one of these states When Medscape ranked the 2017 best and worst states for doctors, they focused on factors likely to alleviate—and cause—burnout. May 11, 2017Thursday The DO Staff Contact The DO Staff Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Topics Best and worst stateswork-life balance Medscape’s 2017 best and worst states for doctors list (login required) is completely different from its 2016 list: Each of the top five best states are different from Medscape’s 2016 list, and only one state, New Mexico, made the top five worst states list both years. The reason? With burnout rising among physicians, Medscape took a different approach to ranking states this year, with an eye on identifying those that offer physicians a less stress-inducing lifestyle. In addition to weighing states on the usual factors like physician income and rates of lawsuits, Medscape also examined the aspects of daily life likely to affect stress and burnout levels. These include a state’s divorce rates, crime rates and traffic fatalities. Best and worst Frigid winters did not keep Minnesota from landing the No. 1 slot on the Best list. The state has high rankings for happiness, family-friendliness and auto safety. Related At the other end of the spectrum is Louisiana, ranked the No. 1 worst state this year, in part for its high number of malpractice lawsuits and low rankings for happiness and safety. According to Medscape, these are the 10 best states for doctors in 2017: 1. Minnesota 2. Wisconsin 3. South Dakota 4. Iowa 5. Vermont 6. New Hampshire 7. Massachusetts 8. North Dakota 9. Maine 10. Kansas Medscape says these are the 5 worst states for doctors in 2017: 1. Louisiana 2. Arizona 3. Nevada 4. New Mexico 5. Oklahoma Where did the DO-heavy states land? Of the seven states where the most DOs practice, only two made the list: Michigan in the No. 11 slot, and Pennsylvania at No. 16. California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Texas were not ranked on Medscape’s list. The deets For more details about each state on Medscape’s list and a thorough explanation of the report’s methodology, visit Medscape (login required). Also interesting: the personal finance site WalletHub released its own best and worst states for doctors in March, and their list is strikingly different from Medscape’s. Related articles Best and worst states for doctors in 2017: See how your state stacks up A WalletHub analysis considers physicians’ salary, competition, and CME requirements to rank “best” and “worst” states. Best and worst states for doctors: Where did your state land? DOs in “best” and “worst” states weigh in on Medscape’s recent Best and Worst Places to Practice report. A closer look at this year’s US News-ranked DO schools Find out how these schools stand out in family medicine, primary care, rural medicine and geriatrics. More in Lifestyle The best podcasts for DOs and osteopathic medical students to explore in 2025 The new year is a great time to pick up a new podcast. Stephanie Lee, DO, MS, recommends podcasts for every interest, including medicine, education, comedy and spirituality. A year in review: The DO’s top 10 stories of 2024 As The DO and our contributing writers celebrate the end of another busy and remarkable year, we’re taking a look back at the most popular articles of 2024. Previous articleDon’t Butt Out: Tips™ for Helping Smokers Next articleCongrats, grads! What's next before residency?
Best and worst states for doctors in 2017: See how your state stacks up A WalletHub analysis considers physicians’ salary, competition, and CME requirements to rank “best” and “worst” states.
Best and worst states for doctors: Where did your state land? DOs in “best” and “worst” states weigh in on Medscape’s recent Best and Worst Places to Practice report.
A closer look at this year’s US News-ranked DO schools Find out how these schools stand out in family medicine, primary care, rural medicine and geriatrics.
The best podcasts for DOs and osteopathic medical students to explore in 2025 The new year is a great time to pick up a new podcast. Stephanie Lee, DO, MS, recommends podcasts for every interest, including medicine, education, comedy and spirituality.
A year in review: The DO’s top 10 stories of 2024 As The DO and our contributing writers celebrate the end of another busy and remarkable year, we’re taking a look back at the most popular articles of 2024.
For Psychiatrists, Vermont is definitely one of he worst states to work in, where judges “practice” psychiatry from the bench, dictating what medications and specific doses the doctor my use, where the judicial process delays for at least two months before the doctor can give needed medications to patients refusing them, patients who can be severely psychotic and displaying behaviors putting themselves and/or others at risk for physical harm. May. 19, 2017, at 7:11 am Reply