Despite a push toward work-life balance in the medical field, physicians continue to dedicate more time to work and less time to themselves, their loved ones, and their outside interests. On average, physicians reported in the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2023 that they worked 50 hours per week. Five specialties, including critical care, cardiology, and general surgery reported working 55 or more hours weekly.
But there’s a small segment of physicians that has bucked the norm. They’ve scaled back their hours to part-time, clocking in only 25-30 hours a week.
In 2011, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that part-time physician careers were rising. At the time, part-time doctors made up 21% of the physician workforce, up from 13% in 2005.