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Profile of the Oncology Physician Workforce and the Characteristics of Attrition
Jordan Tuia1, Alyson Haslam1, Vinay Prasad1,2
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
Purpose:
To determine the prevalence of attrition and the frequency of transition from a primarily clinical role to an industry-related role among oncology physicians.
Methods:
We tracked yearly Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) billing between 2015 and 2022 to estimate attrition of oncology physicians. A subanalysis of a random sample of 300 oncologists with fewer than 30 years of experience and who had stopped billing were used to conduct a more thorough assessment of current employment. Employment was primarily found through LinkedIn; otherwise a secondary search was done through a Google search. Type of employer was categorized as industry (pharmaceutical or biotechnology), nonindustry (academic/clinical/government), others, or no information found. The results are provided separately by sex.
Results:
Of the 16,870 oncologists who billed to CMS in 2015, 3,558 (21%) had stopped billing by 2022. Among a randomly selected 300 oncologists, we found current employment information for 223 (74%); 78 of the 223 (35%) were most recently employed within industry. Among all CMS-billing oncologists, 30% (5,126 of 16,870) identified as female. Women stopped billing at the rate of 18% (929 of 5,126) by 2022. Surgical oncologists had the lowest overall attrition (17%, 149 of 855). Radiation oncologists had 21% (881 of 4,244) overall attrition and 7% (5 of 71) sampled attrition to industry.
Conclusion:
By 2022, 21% of oncology physicians billing to CMS in 2015 had stopped. 78 of the 300 sampled physicians were found to be working in industry. In total, 1 in 17 oncologists (5%) moved to industry over a 5-year period.
Insights
A significant portion of oncology physicians are leaving clinical practice, with 21% stopping billing by 2022. Of those transitioning, 5% moved to industry roles, highlighting a notable shift in oncology physician careers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Healthcare Workforce Dynamics
- Medical Economics
Background:
- Physician attrition from clinical practice is a growing concern in oncology.
- Understanding career transitions, particularly to industry roles, is crucial for workforce planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the prevalence of oncology physician attrition from clinical practice.
- To determine the frequency of oncologists transitioning to industry-related employment.
Main Methods:
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) billing data from 2015-2022 were analyzed to track oncology physician attrition.
- A random sample of 300 oncologists who stopped billing underwent further assessment for current employment, primarily via LinkedIn and Google searches.
- Employer types were categorized as industry (pharmaceutical/biotechnology) or non-industry (academic/clinical/government).
Main Results:
- By 2022, 21% of oncology physicians who billed to CMS in 2015 had ceased billing.
- Among a sampled group, 35% of those who stopped billing were employed in industry.
- Overall, approximately 5% of oncologists transitioned to industry roles within a 5-year period.
Conclusions:
- A substantial percentage of oncology physicians are leaving clinical practice.
- A significant minority of departing oncologists are transitioning into the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries.
- These findings underscore the need to address factors influencing oncology physician retention and career pathways.
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