Most physicians say they’d still choose medicine if they had it to do over again, but nearly half say they’re likely to leave clinical practice within the next two years, according to Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report.
Doximity, a digital platform for U.S. medical professionals, released the report Aug. 25. The findings are based on a survey of physicians conducted in June on how AI is changing physician careers and pay, along with salary data from more than 23,000 physicians collected in 2025, according to a company news release.
Physicians were asked: “How likely are you to leave clinical practice entirely within the next two years?”
- Very likely: 22%
- Somewhat likely: 23%
- Unlikely: 29%
- Not likely at all: 27%
Physicians were also asked: “If you had the chance to do it over again, would you still pursue a career as a physician?”
- Yes, in my same specialty: 55%
- Yes, but in a different specialty: 26%
- No, probably not: 15%
- No, definitely not: 4%
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