PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked 20th for best states to practice medicine in 2017 according to a Medscape report released Wednesday. The study said that Rhode Island’s perks include a high safety ranking and a manageable patient volume, while highlighting the state’s museums, nightlife and restaurants, as well as a positive “coolest city you haven’t been to” ranking from GQ for Providence.
Vermont was ranked fifth-best in the nation, with highlights being “safest state in the nation,” and “beautiful Lake Champlain.” New Hampshire ranked No. 6, with highlights including have a low rate of malpractice suits and being the second-most tax friendly state. Massachusetts was ranked No. 7 for its walkability, its dog- and bike-friendly culture, and a robust music scene. Maine ranked No. 9 on the list, noting that it is a “haven for those who love nature.” Rounding out New England’s showing was Connecticut, coming in at No. 15, with highlights including good schools and a healthy population.
The study ranked states overall and then includes recommended individual cities within the state. Thus, Minneapolis was the recommended city for the most highly rated state in the study, Minnesota. Louisiana was ranked the worst state to practice in, with New Orleans taking the heat for high crime and homelessness, low measures of happiness, the least healthy population and the highest rate of malpractice suits.
This year’s rank is an improvement from Rhode Island’s fifth-worst placement in Medscape’s 2016 ranking, when the website cited the lowest physician compensation in the nation as well as steep taxes and a high cost of living. That rank also noted that Forbes said Providence was the fifth-worst city for finding a job in 2016.
Medscape based its study on various state-based metrics that were intended to measure factors that cause or prevent burnout in medical doctors, such as medical board actions, malpractice suits, rates of happiness, traffic, amenities, physician density, cost of living, insurance coverage and divorce.
According to the rankings, the five specialties most prone to burnout were emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, infectious disease and rheumatology.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
