You want to quit medicine, and you need help making this big decision. I have been there. I thought about quitting medicine as a medical student and as a resident. In this post, I will discuss 9 factors to consider before quitting.
The 9 factors to consider prior to quitting medicine is your emotional and mental well-being, personal fulfillment, financial situation, career options, career re-entry, support system, and the impact on your professional identity. The decision you make will be a crucial step in you creating your ideal life, so make sure you consider everything I am about to tell you and then some. And be sure to read part III, so that I may walk you through the decision making process step-by-step.
Why Do Doctors Quit Medicine?
The AAMC published data indicating that the US may have a physician shortage of up to 124,000 doctors by 2034. And yet, 1 in 3 physicians are cutting back their hours. 1 in 5 doctors are planning to leave their current practice in 2 years. So why are doctors quitting medicine, when there is such a need to be met?
Doctors are quitting medicine because of burnout, moral injury, cost of living/inflation concerns, corporate advancement, and family concerns (PhysicianOnFire). Sadly, many doctors work incredibly long hours to serve their patients, yet feel undervalued and unsupported themselves. They have to endure scrutiny from their patients, employer, and insurance companies all of whom dictate their patients’ treatment plans. They are constantly having to prove why they deserve their reasonable salary even though healthcare corporations make billions off of their expertise, and no one bats an eye. So it makes sense that many doctors are opting for careers with better work-life balance and higher pay.
A word of caution: Many medical professions are suffering from burnout and it clouds their judgment. Take my Burnout Battle Plan Assessment to find out if you are at-risk or suffering from burnout.
Why do Medical Students Quit Medicine?
In October 2023, the AAMC published a report on the graduation and attrition rates of U.S. Medical Students. It states that the national attrition rate has been relatively stable around 3.2% for decades. This percentage includes attrition for academic and non-academic reasons. 3.2% seems like a reasonable rate of attrition; however, the data used was pre-COVID. Anecdotally, it seems more students are weighing the option of leaving medical school now more than ever.
Medical students are quitting medicine because of mental health concerns, burnout, change in priorities, lack of free time, student loan debt, mismatch in their expectations of medicine and reality, and traumatic experiences. Medical students enter the medical field as happy high-achieving young adults. Unfortunately, the demands of medical school isolates students from their support system and keeps them working in a high stress environment for years which wears down their coping skills.
On top of this, they are exposed to human suffering without any space to heal from these traumas themselves. It’s no wonder medical school can negatively impact a student’s mental health and lead to burn out. Or that many medical students want their freedom back, both personal and financial.
Factors You Should Consider Before You Quit Medicine
You should consider these 9 factors before you quit medicine: your emotional and mental well-being, personal fulfillment, financial situation, career options, career re-entry, support system, and the impact on your professional identity.
Emotional and Mental Well-Being
Your emotional and mental health takes precedence here. If you are suffering from severe anxiety and/or depression, at the very least you may need to take a break from medicine to recover. And if you are thinking about harming yourself or others, please seek medical attention. If you are suffering from stress or milder mental health concerns, there is space for you to make lifestyle changes to help manage your current situation. I went through what I call a situational depression during my medical training, which is gone now that I am no longer in medicine.
Personal Fulfillment
Consider what fulfills you. If healing patients gives you immense personal fulfillment, then you likely have to endure your training and figure out ways to make the grunt work of being a doctor more manageable for you.
Financial Situation
Your financial situation will undoubtedly have a major impact in your decision. One of the main reasons I stayed in medical school is because I would have no way to pay back my loans from my post-bacc program if I left. If you are like me and took a few gap years in between undergrad and medical school, your loans will likely come out of deferment immediately. You will have to pay thousands of dollars a month the minute you leave.
If you are already a practicing physician, your job is helping you pay the bills. And sometimes, your work has loan forgiveness as part of your contract. So if you leave, you lose out on tens of thousands of dollars. So even if you want to leave, you may have to stick with it for a year or two until you’ve met your contractual obligations.
Career Options if You Quit Medicine
You have to consider alternative careers prior to leaving medicine. Take time to explore non-clinical careers, such as consulting, medical writing, pharmaceuticals, insurance, medical supplies, life coaching, real estate, et cetera. The options are endless because you have already proven yourself to be a highly skilled professional who can excel at anything.
Admittedly, some careers are easier to transition into and some are more lucrative than others. If you are a student, you have more flexibility here as you typically do not have the financial constraints of an attending. Meaning, you know how to survive on a medical student budget and have never experienced an attending level salary, so you have less pressure to choose a lucrative career.
Career Re-entry
There is a possibility that you may return to medicine. So if you want to make an exit strategy, do not forget to craft a re-entrance strategy as well. If you are thinking about quitting medical school, discuss with your advisors what it would take to return? I had a classmate who signed up with a startup company, so he left medical school. However, the next year he was back with us. I do not know whether the startup failed or if he had a change of heart, but it seems he had a back up plan in place that simplified his return. For practicing physicians, keeping your board certifications and medical license up-to-date is key here.
Support System
You must have a good support system in order to change careers. Odds are someone will have to support you either emotionally or financially whether you have left school or your job. It’s a tough decision to make, so do not be surprised if you need a month or more to decompress and re-focus. You need to ensure you have systems in place to allow yourself that recovery time.
Professional Identity if You Quit medicine
Lastly, your professional identity will change if you quit medicine. There is a certain amount of prestige that comes along with being a doctor. You likely noticed it even as a medical student. Once you are no longer in the field, you will have to figure out another identity. Hopefully, it will be an identity that is not connected to what you do, but rather who you are.
In Summary
You are about to make one of the most important decisions of your life. If you truly want to quit medicine, don’t fall into the trap of the sunk cost fallacy. I was reminded of this countless times by my husband who obsesses over fallacies. The time and effort you’ve spent in medicine cannot be recouped and will only increase the longer you stay. If you decide to stay, be sure it’s in alignment with who you are and what you want out of life. Whether you stay or go, there will be consequences that you will have to accept. Remember, the only opinion that matters is your own.
If you need more help, check out my article on why I chose to become board certified in Family Medicine instead of quitting medical school. If you want to know how I can help you, click here. And for the record, I left medicine after finishing residency. I feel like the time I spent in medicine was valuable, and I have no regrets!