News and briefs: General surgeons see largest decline in income

The 2012 Physician Compensation Report from Medscape shows that income declined for most physicians from 2010 to 2011, with general surgeons seeing the largest decline at 12%. The top five specialties with decreased income include:

• Orthopedics: 10%
• Radiology: 10%
• Emergency medicine: 8%
• Neurology: 5%

Some specialties did experience an increase in income, including:

• Ophthalmology: 9%
• Pediatrics: 5%
• Nephrology: 4%
• Rheumatology: 4%
• Oncology: 4%

When asked if they feel they are fairly compensated, 46% of primary care physicians responded yes, and 51% of “all physicians” responded yes. Those who felt that they were most fairly compensated were:

• Dermatologists: 71%
• Pathologists: 63%
• Radiologists: 62%
• Emergency physicians: 61%

The survey also shows that the highest-earning physicians practice in the North Central region, with a mean income of $234,000. The area is composed of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and South and North Dakota;

"There's less competition among physicians in smaller communities and rural areas," says Tommy Bohannon, divisional vice president of hospital-based recruiting for Merritt Hawkins, a physician-recruiting company. Bohannon was quoted in the Medscape survey. "There isn't that same downward pressure on reimbursement that you have in metropolitan areas. Generally, smaller communities have to pay more to attract physicians."