Workplace Culture Trumps Pay for Most Internists: Survey

Only about 1 in 6 internal medicine specialists believe their compensation is more important than workplace culture, according to the “2024 Internal Medicine Practice Issues Report” by Medscape Medical News.

Most internists surveyed said their employers also can create a positive and supportive workplace while managing patient needs and administrative tasks.

The report, based on surveys of practicing internists conducted between January and June 2024, revealed that 77% of respondents said medical employers can maintain a workplace that is consistently supportive for physicians while also meeting patient and marketplace demands. About 14% of internists disagreed with that idea, and 9% were uncertain.

Sarah G. Candler, MD, MPH, an internist who works as an independent consultant, told Medscape Medical News that addressing these factors requires coordinated efforts between employers and insurers.

“I think feeling supported depends on changes not just at the employer level but also at the reimbursement level by insurers and payers,” Candler said.

To foster a successful workplace environment, employers must balance administrative responsibilities with flexibility and understanding, she added.

“Some of the workplace cultures that have been most successful” with internists “have acknowledged that administrative work like charting is important to patient care,” Candler said. “So we should be paid for it, but [it] also can be handled flexibly at home, after hours, or on a schedule.”

Douglas Paauw, MD, an internal medicine specialist on the faculty of the University of Washington in Seattle, said that pre-pandemic, clinicians may have taken workplace culture for granted.

“Then you had the remarkable number of people retiring or leaving the profession,” Paauw said. “People felt how hard their job is when there isn’t support from friends and colleagues.”

When asked if either workplace culture or compensation was more important to retain physicians, 71% of respondents said both are equally important, 16% said compensation was more important, and 12% felt workplace culture was more important. 

While compensation may attract physicians initially, the overall work environment becomes more important over time, Paauw said.

“Especially when you’re looking at (job) retention, culture is important,” Paauw said. “Money is important for a year or two, but after that people will go somewhere else that is more supportive.”