86% of Australian doctors report high rates of job satisfaction - see why

More than 80% of Australian doctors are moderately or very satisfied with their jobs, a national survey has found.

The survey, of 10 498 doctors, 19% of those who were contacted and eligible, found that 86% were moderately or very satisfied with their jobs, with no significant differences between GPs, specialists, and specialists in training. Hospital non-specialists were less satisfied.

The predictors of high professional satisfaction included:

- a good support network

- a household with a high income

- patients with realistic expectations w
- being able to take time off

- being younger or close to retirement

- having good self reported health.

Female GPs earn an average 25% less than their male counterparts and that GPs on average earn 32% less than specialists. The average annual pretax personal earnings of GPs and specialists were $US 180 000 and $US 316 570, respectively.

With Australia in the throes of national health reform, the researchers said that their findings set an important baseline for examining the effects of policy changes on doctors’ job satisfaction.

The survey was conducted between June and November 2008, before the Australian government announced its national health reform agenda.

The survey findings were published in the 3 January edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Twitter comments:

@gastromom (Meenakshi Budhraja): What are comparative figures in the US - 80% of Australian doctors report high rates of job satisfaction http://goo.gl/mchQT”

@PMillerMD (Philip Miller): 80% of Australian doctors report high rates of job satisfaction. / What is it in US? And if lower, why? I suspect payment morass.

@cotterj1 80% of Australian doctors report high rates of job satisfaction http://goo.gl/mchQT -> Explains why half the HSE docs are gone!

@SeattleMamaDoc (WendySueSwanson MD): "A good support network" goes long way.

@docmuscles (Adam Nally, D.O.) This was before the health care reform (HCR).

References:

Australian doctors report high rates of job satisfaction. BMJ 2011; 342:d119 doi: 10.1136/bmj.d119 (Published 10 January 2011)

Australian doctors’ satisfaction with their work: results from the MABEL longitudinal survey of doctors. MJA 2011; 194 (1): 30-33.

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.