Becker's ASC Review

99 HEALTHCARE NEWS 99 How physician pay in the US compares to other countries: 11 findings By Alan Condon P hysicians in the U.S. on average earn far more than their counterparts in other countries and rank significantly higher in terms of net worth, according to Medscape's "International Physician Compensation Report." e survey, released Aug. 20, includes responses from physicians in the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. Respondents were all full-time practicing physicians. Eleven findings: 1. On average, physicians in the U.S. earned the most ($316,000) per year, followed by Germany ($183,000) and the U.K. ($138,000). Physicians in Mexico earned the least at $12,000. 2. In terms of net worth, U.S. physicians are significantly ahead of their counterparts in other countries. e average net worth of physicians in the U.S. is $1.7 million, according to the survey. Physicians in the U.K. ranked second with an average net worth of $657,000, and those in Mexico had an average net worth of $67,000. 3. Fiy-nine percent of U.S. physicians surveyed said that they felt fairly compensated, the highest among countries surveyed. In Germany, 43 percent of physicians feel they are fairly compensated, compared to just 14 percent in Spain. 4. On average, primary care physicians in the U.S. earn $242,000 annually, the highest of any country surveyed. Second was Germany ($200,000) and last was Mexico ($70,000). 5. Specialists in the U.S. and Germany earn the most among the countries surveyed. On average, male specialists in the U.S. earn $376,000 per year, while female specialists earn $283,000, compared to $194,000 and $131,000 respectively in Germany. 6. e U.S. has the lowest specialist pay disparity, with male specialists earning 33 percent more than women. e highest gender pay gap occurs in France, where male specialists earn 63 percent more than women, the survey found. 7. Mortgages on one's primary home is the most common debt for physicians in the U.S. (64 percent), the U.K. (67 percent), Spain (49 percent), Germany (40 percent) and Italy (36 percent). At 52 percent, credit card debt is the leading debt among physicians in Mexico, according to the survey. 8. Of the U.S. physicians surveyed, 39 percent said that they use telemedicine in their practice. Physicians in the U.K. topped the list with 68 percent reporting the use of telemedicine. 9. Physicians everywhere voiced frustrations about paperwork and administrative burdens. In the U.S., 26 percent of physicians reported spending between one and nine hours a week on administrative tasks, and 19 percent reported dedicating more than 25 hours a week. 10. If given the option, 78 percent of physicians in the U.S. said they would choose medicine again, third behind physicians in Germany and Mexico, who tied at 79 percent. 11. Eighty-one percent of physicians in the U.S. said they would choose the same specialty, the highest rate of any country. n New California medical school placed on probation By Gabrielle Masson E lk Grove-based California Northstate University College of Medicine was put on probation March 1 by an academic accreditation agency, according to a March 3 report by The Sacramento Bee. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a national accrediting body, placed the university on probation, Doug Elmets, university spokesperson, told The Sacramento Bee, though he declined to disclose the reason. John Buarotti, spokesperson for the Association of American Medical Colleges, also declined to disclose the reason to the news publication. In 2015, the university received preliminary accreditation and, in 2019, provisional accreditation — a step down from full accreditation. About a year ago, three students filed a class action lawsuit, accusing the school of fraud when it promised medical school admission to students who had enrolled in an undergraduate program, then denied their admission. In 2019, the state ordered the university to stop offering two programs designed to "fast track" students into medicine careers. The probationary status won't affect the university operations or plans to build a $1 billion hospital and medical school in Sacramento, according to Mr. Elmets. The hospital will include 250 to 500 beds and is expected to take eight years to build, according to The Sacramento Bee. "While this was not the outcome we were hoping for, it is not unusual for a new and developing medical school to be placed in this status category," Mr. Elmets said in a statement cited by The Sacramento Bee. "We want to emphasize that our valued medical students will not be impacted by this determination in any way and will be eligible to take all medical licensing exams, go on to residency programs and receive licensing in the state of their choosing. Moving forward, California Northstate University College of Medicine remains focused on providing an excellent education as we work closely to achieve full compliance with all LCME standards in the shortest time possible." Becker's was unable to reach California Northstate University College of Medicine for comment. n

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