Most of us are proud of our city and state and probably believe it’s the best place to live and work. But the Medscape report, “Best and Worst Places to Practice 2017,” may shed some light on some other places that would be great, or not-so-great, to practice medicine. Where does your city rank?
Every year Medscape puts out the rankings based on criteria such as numbers of medical malpractice lawsuits, cost of medical malpractice insurance, physician burnout, medical board actions, physician income, divorce rate, crime rate, cost of living and multiple other factors. In addition to factors healthcare providers would be interested in, they also consider things like climate, cultural and entertainment opportunities, opportunities for outdoor activities, traffic, and more.
This year’s report lists Minneapolis, MN as the number 1 place to practice medicine. It is described as family-friendly and safe, and it rates high in happiness of residents. While Minneapolis is considered to be the best place to practice, Louisiana, specifically, New Orleans, claims the title of the worst place to practice. This may be surprising considering the party atmosphere and great food offered there, but according to Medscape its people are not very happy or healthy, and there are a great deal of malpractice suits against doctors. The crime rate is also very high.
Other places that made the worst list:
• Phoenix, AZ
• Las Vegas, NV
• Albuquerque, NM
• Tulsa, OK
Physicians working in these cities might not completely agree, depending on what’s important to each individual. The report does not consider factors like where you grew up or where your family lives, which are typically high priorities for people.
According to Medscape the top 5 best places to practice medicine are:
1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Madison, WI
3. Sioux Falls, SD
4. Des Moines, IA
5. Burlington, VT
Your city not in the top 5? Check out the rest of the report and see if you made the top 25. Medscape’s “Best and Worst Places to Practice 2017.”
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