In a recent blog post, AMN Healthcare outlined the most common physician practice options available in 2026 to help physicians make an informed choice.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common physician practice options available in 2026, according to the report.
Group practice:
Group practice can provide stable pay plus productivity bonuses, established patient base and administrative support. The trade-off, however, is less autonomy early on.
- Single-specialty: Collaborative focus within one field.
- Multispecialty: Built-in referrals and care continuity, but higher overhead and potential interspecialty tension.
Private solo practice:
Solo private practice can provide maximum autonomy and full control over schedule, patients and income. This option, however, requires strong business skills, higher administrative burden and on-call responsibility.
Partnership or association:
Both partnerships and association means shared overhead and resources with varying degrees of independence.
- Partnership: Shared finances and decision-making, but success depends on aligned partners.
- Association: Shared space and assets with separate finances and workloads.
Hospital-based employment:
Hospital employment, an increasingly popular choice for physicians, often means reliable salary, built-in patient base and extensive clinical and administrative support. The trade off is typically less autonomy, with some opportunities for governance or ownership in specialty hospitals.
Locum tenens:
Temporary assignments offer high flexibility, geographic mobility and exposure to diverse practice settings. These positions are best suited for physicians seeking variety or evaluating long-term options.
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