MDs & DOs: Top 5 Specialties With Active Physicians

Ophthalmology and dermatology included the highest percentage of active physicians with Doctor of Medicine degrees, whereas family medicine/general practice included the highest percentage of active physicians with Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees in 2010, according to the 2012 Physician Specialty Data Book, prepared by the Center for Workforce Studies at the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The primary data sources for this report include the American Medical Association 2011 Physician Masterfile, population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and the AAMC/AMA National Graduate Medical Education Census.

The top five specialties with the highest percentage of active physicians with an MD degree in 2010 were:

•    Ophthalmology — 90.1 percent
•    Dermatology — 90.1 percent
•    Orthopedic Surgery — 88.9 percent
•    Plastic Surgery — 87.8 percent
•    Otolaryngology — 87.5 percent

The top five specialties with the highest percentage of active physicians with a DO degree in 2010 were:

•    Family medicine/general practice — 16.5 percent
•    Physical medicine and rehabilitation — 12.6 percent
•    Emergency medicine — 10.8 percent
•    Preventive medicine — 8.1 percent
•    Anesthesiology — 6 percent

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