Radiologists among top 10 most recruited physicians as hiring demand shifts to specialty care
Radiologists are among the top 10 most in-demand physicians, financial planning firm Physician Thrive reported Wednesday.
This marks the first uptick in specialist recruiting in years, the report claimed. Radiology joins other desired doc types including neurologists, cardiologists and oncologists, sought after because they generate high amounts of revenue for practices and hospitals.
“For the past 13 years, family physicians have been the most heavily recruited physicians around the country,” the Omaha, Nebraska-based firm noted. “But with COVID-19 causing a decrease in office visits, 2021 created an increase in specialist recruiting for the first time in over a decade.”
Amid such desirability, radiologists recorded the sixth highest incentive bonus by specialty at $69,000, with orthopedists topping the rankings at $116,000. About 55% of physician specialists reported receiving such a bonus in 2021. Most incentives last year were based on RVUs (57%), with net collections (23%) and quality (23%) also popular pay metrics.
About 93% of radiologists said they would choose the same specialty again, placing the profession in a tie for fifth. Dermatologists, orthopedists and oncologists all landed No. 1 at 96%. Radiologists were also among specialists most-convinced that they are fairly compensated at 65%, good for sixth on the list. Radiologists also scored the same ranking for highest median salary at $413,000, with plastic surgeons in the top spot at $526,000. On average, women earned about 25% less than male physicians working in the same specialty.
Physician Thrive compiled the 23-page report using data from nearly a dozen sources, including Medscape, Doximity and Merritt Hawkins. You find the full 2022 Physician Compensation Report for free here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.