Forty-six percent of physicians said they expect retiring from medicine to feel like losing a part of their identity, according to a survey by Medscape.
The "Physicians Eye Retirement" report for 2023, released Dec. 14, asked 1,017 physicians about their retirement goals, financial planning and how they intend to spend their time after they stop practicing.
Among physicians who indicated they plan to continue to practice into their late 60s, there were multiple reasons fueling that decision. Here is a breakdown of why physicians said they plan to continue practicing past that age:
1. They have more to contribute as a physician (63%)
2. Medicine is their passion (35%)
3. Medicine is my identity (31%)
4. They do not expect to have enough saved to retire earlier (26%)
5. Nothing interests them like medicine (25%)
6. Concern for well-being of their patients (23%)
7. Other (13%)