Georgia graduate medical education exit survey report, based on responses to the 2024 GME exit survey

Georgia Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey Report
Based on responses to the 2024 GME Exit Survey
Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce Published Fall 2024

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 5 Methodology.................................................................................................................... 5
Table 1: Respondents and Survey Completion Rate by Program, 2024................... 6 Key Findings from the 2024 Survey ................................................................................ 7
Demographics ............................................................................................................. 7 Geography ................................................................................................................... 7 Medical School ............................................................................................................ 7 Debt and Salary ........................................................................................................... 7 Retention ..................................................................................................................... 8 Practice Opportunities ................................................................................................. 8 Satisfaction with Training ............................................................................................. 8 Demographic Analysis ................................................................................................. 9
Figure 1: Gender Distribution, 2024.......................................................................... 9 Figure 2: Percent Female, 2020-2024 ...................................................................... 9 Table 2: Specialties Completing by Gender, 2024.................................................. 10 Table 3: Racial and Ethnic Distribution, 2024 ......................................................... 10 Figure 3: Racial Distribution, 2024.......................................................................... 11 Figure 4: Percent Black Race & Percent Hispanic, 2020-2024............................... 12 Table 4: Citizenship Distribution, 2024 ................................................................... 13 Figure 5: Citizenship Status, 2024 .......................................................................... 13 Table 5: Age Distribution, 2024............................................................................... 14 Figure 6: Age Distribution, 2024 ............................................................................. 14 Education................................................................................................................... 15 Table 6: Degree Type, 2024 ................................................................................... 15 Figure 7: Percent Osteopathic Degree, 2020-2024 ................................................ 15 Table 7: Residence Upon Graduating from High School, 2024 .............................. 16 Figure 8: Residence Upon Graduating from High School, 2024 ............................. 16 Table 8: Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School, 2024 ......................... 17 Figure 9: Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School, 2024 ........................ 17 Figure 10: Respondents Attended Which Georgia Medical School, 2024 .............. 18 Figure 11: Respondents who Attended High & Medical School in Georgia and Plan to Remain in Georgia, 2020-2024........................................................................... 19 Financial Information ................................................................................................. 20
2

Table 9: Education Debt, 2024 ............................................................................... 20 Figure 12: Current Level of Education Debt, 2024.................................................. 20 Figure 13: Percent Having no Education Debt, 2020-2024..................................... 21 Table 10: Total Scholarship Money Received for Medical School, 2024 ................ 22 Figure 14: Total Scholarship for Medical School..................................................... 22 Table 11: Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice, 2024.......................... 23 Figure 15: Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice, 2024 ........................ 23 Practice Information................................................................................................... 24 Table 12: Top 5 intended Primary Activity after Current Year of Training, 2024 ..... 24 Figure 16: Top 5 Intended Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024 ... 24 Table 13: Practice Setting, 2024............................................................................. 25 Table 14: Expect to be at Principal Practice for 4 or More Years by Program, 2024 ................................................................................................................................ 26 Table 15: Practice Location, 2024 .......................................................................... 27 Figure 17: Percent Staying in Georgia After Graduation Year, 2020-2024 ............. 27 Table 16: Practice Area, 2024 ................................................................................ 28 Figure 18: Percent Planning Rural Practice, 2020-2024......................................... 28 Specialty .................................................................................................................... 29 Table 17: Specialties of Respondents Planning to Stay in Georgia after Completion of their Program ...................................................................................................... 29 Figure 19: Primary Care/Core Specialties of Respondents Planning to Stay in Georgia after Graduation ........................................................................................ 30 Job Search ................................................................................................................ 31 Table 18: Actively Job Searched, 2024 .................................................................. 31 Table 19: Job Offers and Acceptance, 2024........................................................... 31 Figure 20: Respondents Who Considered One or More Job Offers in Georgia, 2020-2024 .............................................................................................................. 31 Table 20: Job Search Approaches, 2024................................................................ 32 Table 21: Difficulty Finding a Job Rating, 2024 ...................................................... 32 Table 22: Specific Difficulties in Finding a Job, 2024 .............................................. 33 Other Reasons for Difficulty in Finding a Job, 2024 ................................................ 33 Table 23: Ratings and Perception of Training, Educational Debt Repayment, Practice Opportunities, and Rural Practice, 2024 ................................................... 34
3

Figure 21: Ratings and Perception of Training, Educational Debt Repayment, Practice Opportunities and Rural Practice, 2024 .................................................... 35 Table 24: Reasons for Leaving Georgia, 2024 ....................................................... 36 Other Reasons for Leaving Georgia, 2024 ............................................................. 37 Map 1: Location of Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024 ............... 38 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... 39
4

Executive Summary This report is the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce's 22nd annual report of physicians graduating from Georgia's graduate medical education (GME) programs. The purpose of this survey is to inform the medical education community and state healthcare workforce planners about the experiences of graduates and inform them about the supply and demand for new physicians in the state of Georgia. The survey offers insight into residents' demographic characteristics, compensation and debt levels, retention rates, practice plans, assessments of the job market, and training experiences.
Methodology In 2024, 937 Georgia GME graduates completed the GME Exit Survey. This represents a 17.1% increase from the 800 responses received in 2023. The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce (GBHCW) collected GME survey responses through an online form. The survey link was sent via email to all GME program Directors and Coordinators. The GBHCW data team then sent weekly reminders and status update emails to each school until the completion deadline of July 10th. Analyses presented throughout this report were conducted using Microsoft Excel.
The response rates for each question vary and are reported as the "total" for each question. All Georgia GME programs with graduates participated in the survey, and are as follows:
AdventHealth Redmond Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Atrium Health Navicent AU/UGA Medical Partnership-St. Mary's Healthcare Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Colquitt Regional Medical Center (SGMERC) Emory University School of Medicine Gateway Behavioral Health Community Service Board Hamilton Medical Center Houston Healthcare System Medical College of Georgia Memorial Health University Medical Center Memorial Satilla Morehouse School of Medicine Northeast Georgia Medical Center Northside Hospital Gwinnett Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Piedmont Athens Regional Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Piedmont Macon Medical Center St. Francis-Emory Healthcare Wellstar Health System
5

Table 1: Respondents and Survey Completion Rate by Program, 2024

Program Name
Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia Wellstar Health System Morehouse School of Medicine Memorial Health University Medical Center Northeast Georgia Medical Center Atrium Health Navicent Piedmont Macon Medical Center Northside Hospital Gwinnett Hamilton Medical Center Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center AdventHealth Redmond AU/UGA Medical Partnership-St. Mary's Healthcare Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Atrium Health Floyd Gateway Behavioral Health Community Service Board St. Francis Emory Healthcare Houston Medical Center Colquitt Regional Medical Center (SGMERC) Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Memorial Satilla Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Completions
419 155 58 55 39 38 31 22 20 18 17 12 11 10
8 6 5 4 4 2 2 1

Percent of Total
Respondents
44.7% 16.5% 6.2% 5.9% 4.2% 4.1% 3.3% 2.3% 2.1% 1.9% 1.8% 1.3% 1.2% 1.1% 0.9% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%

Total Graduates
437 174 71 60 46 38 32 24 22 18 20 12 11 12
8 8 5 5 4 7 2 1

Totals

937

100.0%

1,017

Survey Completion
Rate
95.9% 89.1% 81.7% 91.7% 84.8% 100.0% 96.6% 91.7% 90.9% 100.0% 85.0% 100.0% 100.0% 83.3% 100.0% 75.0% 100.0% 80.0% 100.0% 28.6% 100.0% 100.0%
92.2%

6

Key Findings from the 2024 Survey
Demographics
51.3% of respondents identify as female; 48.7% identify as male. This indicates an increase from the percentage of respondents identifying as female in 2023, when 49.4% identified as female.
Female-identified respondents were more likely than male-identified respondents to be completing a primary care/core specialty in 2024 (55.9% versus 44.1%).
Female-identified respondents made up 50.0% or more of the respondents in the following primary care/core specialties: family medicine (62.7%); OB/GYN (89.3%); psychiatry (57.6%); and pediatrics (72.5%).
67.4% of respondents are native-born US citizens, which is lower than the 72.6% reported in 2023.
The percentage of respondents identifying as Black this year is 20.4%, which is an increase from 18.4% in 2023. Respondents identifying as Black show a steady increase from 2020 to 2024, with an average increase of 1.5% over 5 years.
The percentage of respondents identifying as Hispanic this year is 8.6%, which is an increase from 7.9% in 2023.
Geography
27.4% of respondents graduated from a high school in Georgia, which is comparable to the 27.3% reported last year.
47.9% of respondents plan to be in Georgia for their primary activity after completion of their program, which is an increase of 0.9 percentage points from last year.
Medical School
The percentage of respondents holding an osteopathic degree is 14.2%, which is lower than the 15.6% of respondents last year but higher than the percentages in 2020-2022.
23.2% of respondents attended medical school in Georgia. This is slightly lower than the 25.9% reported in 2023.
Debt and Salary
46.0% of respondents report having $200,000 or greater in educational debt. 30.3% of respondents report having no educational debt. This is higher than the
29.4% reported last year. 30.6% of respondents anticipate a starting salary of $200,000 a year or less,
which is comparable to last year's percentage (30.1%).
7

Retention
The primary care/core specialty with the highest percentage of respondents planning to stay in Georgia after graduation is internal medicine (44.1%). The primary care/core specialty least likely to stay in Georgia after graduation is general surgery (4.1%).
71.2% of respondents who went to high school in Georgia plan to stay in Georgia next year. This is higher than the 67.0% last year.
72.8% of respondents who went to medical school in Georgia plan to stay in Georgia next year. This is higher than the 60.9% last year.
59.1% of people who answered the question considered one or more job offers in Georgia. This is lower than the 63.0% last year.
The most-selected reasons for leaving Georgia after GME are: proximity to family (20.1% selected); fellowship or additional medical training (17.5%); and better jobs in desired location outside Georgia (11.7% selected). These are the same three top choices as last year.
Practice Opportunities
The average of respondents' overall assessments of practice opportunities in their specialty within 50 miles of the site where they trained is 3.2 on a scale where 1 is very few jobs and 5 is many jobs. This is about the same as the average reported last year.
The average of respondents' overall assessments of practice opportunities in their specialty nationally is 3.8 on a scale where 1 is very few jobs and 5 is many jobs. This is about the same as the average reported last year.
Satisfaction with Training
The average response to the statement "Overall, I am satisfied with the training I received" is 4.3 on a scale where 1 is very dissatisfied and 5 is very satisfied. This is about the same as the average reported last year.
The average agreement with the statement "I would choose to train at the same site again," is 4.1 on a scale where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree. This is about the same as the average reported last year
8

Demographic Analysis
Figure 1: Gender Distribution, 2024
Gender Distribution

Male 48.7%

Female 51.3%

Figure 2: Percent Female, 2020-2024

52.0% 51.0% 50.0% 49.0% 48.0% 47.0% 46.0% 45.0% 44.0% 43.0%

49.4% 2020

Percent Female, 2020-2024

49.3%

49.4%

46.3%

2021

2022

2023

9

51.3% 2024

Table 2: Specialties Completing by Gender, 2024

Specialty Completing

Female

in 2024

Frequency Percent

Internal Medicine

105

Family Medicine

69

Pediatrics

37

Emergency Medicine

18

General Surgery

18

Psychiatry

19

OB/GYN

25

Primary Care/Core Subtotal

291

All Other Specialties

189

47.3% 62.7% 72.5% 45.0% 48.6% 57.6% 89.3% 55.9% 45.7%

Total

480

51.3%

Male

Frequency
117 41 14 22 19 14 3 230 225

Percent
52.7% 37.3% 27.5% 55.0% 51.4% 42.4% 10.7% 44.1% 54.3%

455

48.7%

Total
222 110 51 40 37 33 28 521 414
935

Table 3: Racial and Ethnic Distribution, 2024

Race/Ethnicity

Frequency

White

437

Asian or Pacific Islander

243

Black/African American

190

Others

31

Multi-Race

30

Native American/Alaskan Native

2

Total

933

Percent
46.8% 26.0% 20.4% 3.3% 3.2% 0.2%
100.0%

10

Figure 3: Racial Distribution, 2024
Racial Distribution

MultiRace 3.2%

Other 3.3%

Black/African American 20.4%

White 46.8%

Asian or Pacific Islander 26.0%

11

Figure 4: Percent Black Race & Percent Hispanic, 2020-2024

25.0%

Percent Black Race & Percent Hispanic Ethnicity 2020-2024
Percent Black Percent Hispanic

20.0%

15.0%

14.5%

15.5%

17.2%

18.4%

20.4%

10.0% 5.0%

6.2%

8.1%

5.9%

7.9%

8.6%

0.0%

2020

2021

2022
12

2023

2024

Table 4: Citizenship Distribution, 2024

Citizenship Status Frequency Percent

Native Born U.S. Naturalized U.S. J-1, J-2 Exchange Visitor Permanent Resident H-1, H-2, H-3 Temporary Worker

632

67.4%

188

20.1%

57

6.1%

34

3.6%

26

2.8%

Total

937

100.0%

Figure 5: Citizenship Status, 2024

J-1, J-2 Exchange
Visitor 6.1%

Citizenship Status

Permanent Resident
3.6%

H-1, H-2, H-3 Temporary Worker 2.8%

Naturalized U.S. 20.1%

Native Born U.S. 67.4%

13

Table 5: Age Distribution, 2024

Age Grouping
26-29 30-34 35-39 40 and Above
Total

Frequency
113 566 184 74
937

Percent
12.1% 60.4% 19.6% 7.9%
100.0%

Figure 6: Age Distribution, 2024
Age Distribution
70.0%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

26-29

30-34

35-39

40 and Above

14

Education Table 6: Degree Type, 2024
Degree Type
Allopathic (MD) Osteopathic (DO)
Total

Frequency
804 133
937

Percent
85.5% 14.2%
100.0%

Figure 7: Percent Osteopathic Degree, 2020-2024

18.0% 16.0% 14.0%

Percent Osteopathic Degree, 2020-2024

15.6%

14.2%

12.0% 10.0%

11.2%

10.9%

10.5%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

15

Table 7: Residence Upon Graduating from High School, 2024

Residence Upon Graduating from High School

Frequency

Other US State

503

Georgia

257

Other Country

177

Total

937

Percent
53.7% 27.4% 18.9%
100.0%

Figure 8: Residence Upon Graduating from High School, 2024
Residence Upon Graduating from High School

Other Country 18.9%
Georgia 27.4%

Other US State 53.7%

16

Table 8: Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School, 2024

Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School

Frequency

Other US State

445

Georgia

217

Offshore Island/Caribbean Medical School

116

Other Country

159

Total

937

Percent
47.5% 23.2% 12.4% 17.0%
100.0%

Figure 9: Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School, 2024
Residence Upon Graduating from Medical School

Other Country 17.0%
Offshore Island/Caribbean Medical School
12.4%
Georgia 23.2%

Other US State 47.5%

17

Figure 10: Respondents Attended Which Georgia Medical School, 2024
Respondents Attended Which Georgia Medical School

PCOMGeorgia

31

Morehouse School of Medicine

34

Emory University School of Medicine

43

Mercer University School of Medicine

50

Medical College of Georgia

59

Does not Apply/Out of State 0

720

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

18

Figure 11: Respondents who Attended High & Medical School in Georgia and Plan to Remain in Georgia, 2020-2024

Respondents who Attended High & Medical School in Georgia and

Plan to Remain in Georgia, 2020-2024

74.0% 72.0%

72.0%

72.8%

1,000 900

70.0% 68.0%

68.5%

71.4%

67.0%

71.2%

800

700

Percent of Graduates

66.0%

65.0%

600

64.0%

500

62.0% 60.0%

62.9%

62.4%

400

60.9%

300

58.0%

200

56.0%

100

54.0%

727 2020

738 2021

708 2022

800 2023

937 -
2024

GME Graduate Survey Responses Respondents who Attended High School in Georgia and Plan to Remain in Georgia Next Year Respondents who Attended Medical School in Georgia and Plan to Remain in Georgia Next Year

19

Financial Information Table 9: Education Debt, 2024

Current Level of Education Debt Frequency

$0

284

Less than $100,000

82

$100,000-$199,999

135

$200,000-$299,999

202

$300,000-$399,999

133

$400,000-$499,999

71

$500,000 or Greater

30

Total

937

Percent
30.3% 8.8% 14.4% 21.6% 14.2% 7.6% 2.6%
100.0%

Figure 12: Current Level of Education Debt, 2024

300

284

Current Level of Educational Debt

250
202 200

150
100
50
0 $0

135 82

133
71 30

Less than $100,000 - $200,000 - $300,000 - $400,000 - $500,000 or $100,000 $199,999 $299,999 $399,999 $499,999 Greater

20

Figure 13: Percent Having no Education Debt, 2020-2024

35.0% 34.0%

Percent Having No Education Debt, 2020-2024
34.6%

33.0%

32.0% 31.0% 30.0% 29.0%

30.2%

31.2%

29.4%

30.3%

28.0%

27.0%

26.0%

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

21

Table 10: Total Scholarship Money Received for Medical School, 2024

Scholarship Money Received for Medical School

Frequency

$0

689

Less than $100,000

168

$100,000 - $199,999

46

$200,000-$299,999

21

$300,000 or Greater

13

Total

937

Percent
73.5% 17.9% 4.9% 2.2% 1.4%
100.0%

Figure 14: Total Scholarship for Medical School

Scholarship Money Received for Medical School
800 689
700

600

500

400

300

200

168

100
0 $0

Less than $100,000

46
$100,000 $199,999

21
$200,000 $299,999

13
$300,000 - or Greater

22

Table 11: Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice, 2024

Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice
Less than $100,000

Frequency
203

$100,000-$199,999

83

$200,000-$299,999

303

$300,000-$399,999

199

$400,000-$499,999

96

$500,000 or Greater

53

Total

937

Percent
21.7% 8.9% 32.3% 21.2% 10.2% 5.7%
100.0%

Figure 15: Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice, 2024
Expected Gross Income in First Year of Practice
350 303
300

250

203

199

200

150

100

83

50

96 53

0 Less than $100,000

$100,000 $199,999

$200,000 $299,999

$300,000 $399,999

$400,000 $499,999

$500,000 or Greater

23

Practice Information Table 12: Top 5 intended Primary Activity after Current Year of Training, 2024

Top 5 Intended Primary Activities After Current Year of Training

Frequency

Percent

Patient Care/Clinical Practice

616

67.2%

Additional Subspecialty Training or Fellowship

255

27.8%

Chief Resident

21

2.3%

Undecided

16

1.7%

Teaching/Research

9

1.0%

Total

917

100.0%

Figure 16: Top 5 Intended Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024

Top 5 Intended Primary Activities after Current

Year of Training

Chief resident 2.3%

Undecided 1.7%

Teaching/research 1.0%

Additional subspecialty
training or fellowship
27.8%

Patient care/clinical
practice 67.2%

24

Table 13: Practice Setting, 2024
Practice Setting
Academic Setting Hospital-Inpatient Group Practice-as Employee Hospital-Ambulatory Care Group Practice-as Owner/Partner Hospital-Emergency Room Freestanding Health Center/Clinic Other Military Solo Practice Partnership (2 Person) Private Practice Insurance
Total

Frequency
335 182 177 54 32 27 25 20 19
9 5 2 1
888

Percent
37.7% 20.5% 19.9% 6.1% 3.6% 3.0% 2.8% 2.3% 2.1% 1.0% 0.6% 0.2% 0.1%
100.0%

25

Table 14: Expect to be at Principal Practice for 4 or More Years by Program, 2024

Program Name
AdventHealth Redmond Atrium Health Floyd Atrium Health Navicent AU/UGA Medical Partnership-St. Mary's Healthcare Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Colquitt Regional Medical Center (SGMERC) Emory University School of Medicine Gateway Behavioral Health Community Service Board Hamilton Medical Center Houston Healthcare System Medical College of Georgia Memorial Health University Medical Center Memorial Satilla Morehouse School of Medicine Northeast Georgia Medical Center Northside Hospital Gwinnett Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Piedmont Macon Medical Center St. Francis-Emory Healthcare Wellstar Health System

Expect to be at Principal Practice for 4 or More Years

Yes

No

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Total

9

1.4%

3

1.0%

12

6

0.9%

2

0.7%

8

23

3.6%

8

2.7%

31

6

0.9%

5

1.7%

11

1

0.2%

0

0.0%

1

4

0.6%

0

0.0%

4

307

48.0%

112

37.7%

419

4

0.6%

2

0..7%

6

11

1.7%

7

2.4%

18

3

0.5%

1

0.3%

4

100

15.6%

55

18.5%

155

24

3.8%

15

5.1%

39

2

0.3%

0

0.0%

2

28

4.4%

27

9.1%

55

31

4.8%

7

2.4%

38

14

2.2%

6

3.3%

20

2

0.3%

0

0.0%

2

8

1.3%

9

3.0%

17

6

0.9%

4

1.3%

10

13

2.0%

9

3.0%

22

2

0.3%

3

1.0%

5

36

5.6%

22

7.4%

58

Total

640 100.0% 297 100.0% 937

26

Table 15: Practice Location, 2024
Location of Primary Activity After Graduation Year
Other State Georgia Outside of US
Total

Frequency
479 449
9
937

Percent
51.1% 47.9% 1.0%
100.0%

Figure 17: Percent Staying in Georgia After Graduation Year, 2020-2024

Percent Staying in Georgia After Graduation, 2020-2024
51.0%

50.0%

49.9%

49.0% 48.0% 47.0%

47.0%

47.9%

46.0% 45.0% 44.0%

44.2%

44.9%

43.0%

42.0%

41.0%

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

27

Table 16: Practice Area, 2024
Practice Area
Inner City Suburban Other Area within Major City Small City (City Population Less than 50,000) Rural (County Population Less than 50,000)
Total

Frequency
279 256 251 95 56
937

Percent
29.8% 27.3% 26.8% 10.1% 6.0%
100.0%

Figure 18: Percent Planning Rural Practice, 2020-2024

Percent Planning Rural Practice, 2020-2024

7.2%

7.1%

7.0% 6.8%

6.8%

6.6%

6.4% 6.2% 6.0%

6.2%

6.1%

6.0%

5.8%

5.6%

5.4%

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

28

Specialty Table 17: Specialties of Respondents Planning to Stay in Georgia after Completion of their Program

Specialty

Total Completing
Specialty

Number Staying in Georgia

Percent Staying in Georgia

Internal Medicine

223

130

58.3%

Family Medicine

110

76

69.1%

Pediatrics

52

27

51.9%

Psychiatry

33

18

54.5%

Emergency Medicine

40

16

40.0%

OB/GYN

28

16

57.1%

General Surgery

37

12

32.4%

Primary Care/Core Subtotal

523

295

56.4%

All Other Specialties

414

154

37.2%

Total

937

449

47.9%

29

Figure 19: Primary Care/Core Specialties of Respondents Planning to Stay in Georgia after Graduation
Primary Care/Core Specialities of Respondents Planning to Stay in Georgia after Graduation

General Surgery

12

Obstetrics and Gynecology

16

Emergency Medicine

16

Psychiatry

18

Pediatrics

27

Family Medicine

76

Internal Medicine 0

130

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

30

Job Search Table 18: Actively Job Searched, 2024

Actively Job Searched Frequency

No

236

Yes

701

Total

937

Percent
25.2% 74.8%
100.0%

Table 19: Job Offers and Acceptance, 2024

Been Offered a Job

Frequency

Yes and accepted

685

Not been offered

190

Yes and declined

62

Total

937

Percent
73.1% 20.3% 6.6%
100.0%

Figure 20: Respondents Who Considered One or More Job Offers in Georgia, 2020-2024

Respondents Who Considered One or More Job Offers in Georgia, 2020-2024

80.0% 70.0% 60.0%

63.9%

68.9%

71.7%

63.0%

59.1%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

31

Table 20: Job Search Approaches, 2024

Job Search Approaches Frequency

Percent

Peer or Colleague referral

339

Independent online job search

287

Word of mouth

225

Recruiter contacted me

158

Specialty-specific job boards

81

Note: Respondents could select multiple job search approaches.

Table 21: Difficulty Finding a Job Rating, 2024
Difficulty Rating of Finding a Job
Very easy

Frequency
180

Somewhat easy

251

Neutral

331

Somewhat difficult

141

Very difficult

34

27.9% 23.6% 18.5% 13.0% 6.7%
Percent
19.2% 26.8% 35.3% 15.0% 3.6%

Total

937

100.0%

32

Table 22: Specific Difficulties in Finding a Job, 2024

Difficulty in Finding a Job Frequency

Percent

Not a favorable work/life balance

250

28.4%

Would not be satisfied with the job

192

21.8%

Other reason

125

14.2%

Lack of mentoring opportunities

103

11.7%

Did not have passion for the practice

65

7.4%

Practice did not communicate well

63

7.2%

Not enough challenge

41

4.7%

Practice was not collaborative

28

3.2%

Practice did not advocate for patients

14

1.6%

Note: Respondents could choose multiple options. The percentage shown is the percentage of respondents selecting that option.

Other Reasons for Difficulty in Finding a Job, 2024 In addition to the above answer options, respondents could give an open-ended answer choice. Their responses fell under the following categories:
Location: these include wanting a desirable location or proximity to a city.
Visa and Contractual Obligations: These include answers such as needing to find a job in a HPSA (Health Professional Shortage Area), positions that sponsor visas, and military obligations.
Position-Related Factors: These include employers' reluctance to hire new residency graduates, tedious employment processes, limited availability of positions in their specialty, and desiring practice opportunities without midlevel practitioners.
Pay-Related Issues: Some respondents mentioned that the pay was below the national average or otherwise inadequate to meet their expectations.
Minimal Availability of Jobs: Few respondents indicated that there are fewer jobs in Georgia.

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Table 23: Ratings and Perception of Training, Educational Debt Repayment, Practice Opportunities, and Rural Practice, 2024

Question or Statement

Rating Scale

Number of Responses

Average

In your job search, how strongly did you consider 1 = DID NOT CONSIDER

practicing in a rural area (county population less

5 = STRONGLY

937

2.4

than 50,000)?

CONSIDERED

If all of your medical school debt were forgiven,

how likely would you consider a five-year obligation to practice in a rural setting (GA county

1 = VERY UNLIKELY 5 = VERY LIKELY

937

3.0

population less than 50,000)?

What is your level of satisfaction with your salary/compensation?

1 = VERY

DISSATISFIED

937

5 = VERY SATISFIED

3.7

what is the likelihood you will return to Georgia to practice when your training is complete

1 = VERY UNLIKELY 5 = VERY LIKELY

937

3.3

What is your overall assessment of practice

opportunities in your specialty within 50 miles of

937

3.2

the site where you trained?

1 = VERY FEW JOBS

5 = MANY JOBS

What is your overall assessment of practice opportunities in your specialty nationally?

937

3.8

Overall, I am satisfied with the training I received.

1 = STRONGLY

937

4.3

DISAGREE

5 = STRONGLY AGREE

I would choose to train at the same site again.

937

4.1

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Figure 21: Ratings and Perception of Training, Educational Debt Repayment, Practice Opportunities and Rural Practice, 2024
Rating and Perception of Training, Educational Debt Repayment, Practice Opportunities, and Rural Practice, 2024
5

4.5

Perception (Average Rating)

4

3.5

3

2.5

4.3

2

4.1

3.8

3.7

1.5

3.3

3.2

3.0

2.4 1

0.5

0

Overall satisfaction with Would choose to train Overall assessment of Level of satisfaction Likelihood of return to Overall assessment of Consider a five-year

Strength of

the training received. at the same site again. practice opportunities

with

Georgia to practice practice opportunities obligation to practice in consideration of

in specialty nationally. salary/compensation. when training is in specialty within 50 a rural setting if all practicing in a rural

complete.

miles of training site. medical debt were

area.

forgiven.

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Table 24: Reasons for Leaving Georgia, 2024

Reason for Leaving Georgia Frequency Percent

Proximity to family

232

20.1%

Fellowship or additional medical training

200

17.5%

Better jobs in desired location outside Georgia

134

11.7%

Better salary offered outside Georgia

129

Better jobs in desired practice setting outside Georgia

101

Better job for spouse/partner outside Georgia

93

11.3% 8.8% 8.1%

Other reason

71

6.2%

Never intended to practice in Georgia

70

Overall lack of jobs/practice opportunities in Georgia

43

Other service obligation

39

Better jobs outside Georgia that meet visa requirements

26

Cost of starting a practice

5

6.1% 3.8% 3.4% 2.3% 0.4%

Cost of malpractice insurance in Georgia

4

0.3%

Note: Respondents could select multiple reasons for leaving Georgia. The percentage shown is the percentage of respondents selecting that option.

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Other Reasons for Leaving Georgia, 2024 In addition to the reasons for leaving Georgia after the current year of training mentioned above, some respondents provided an additional reason in an open-ended format. The responses are organized into the following themes: Fellowship-related: Respondents mentioned leaving to pursue additional training in a fellowship in other states where they were matched. And few of the respondents clarified that they intend to return to Georgia after completing all their training. Family: Respondents reiterated that they were leaving Georgia for family reasons or to accommodate a spouse's job or medical training. Political and policy related: Respondents mentioned the political climate (especially surrounding abortion and gun control) and policies such as Medicaid expansion and income tax burden. Change of Environment: Some respondents mentioned desiring to change their environment and live in another state, but they would likely return to Georgia. Service: Respondents mentioned military service for themselves and their spouses. Job-Related Considerations: A few respondents mentioned leaving Georgia to find better jobs. Environmental Considerations: Few respondents mentioned unfavorable weather as their reason for leaving Georgia.
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Map 1: Location of Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024
Location of Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024
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Acknowledgments This report was produced under the direction of Chet Bhasin FACHE, Executive Director; Leanna Greenwood, MA, PhD, Data Team Manager; Augustine Agbontaen, MSIT, Data Analyst; Briana Harris, Data Analyst; and G.E. Alan Dever, MD PhD, Consultant. This document is provided to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce members on behalf of Executive Director Chet Bhasin. The Board would like to thank Georgia's Graduate Medical Education programs for their assistance with this survey.
Thank you to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce Board Members for their leadership and support. Board Members
James Barber, M.D. - Chair William R. "Will" Kemp - Vice Chair Lily Jung Henson, M.D. - Secretary/Treasurer Cecil Bennett, M.D. Garrett Bennett, M.D. Kitty Carter-Wicker, M.D. Carolyn Clevenger, DNP William Fricks, M.D. Steven Gautney, MSHA Michael J. Groover, D.M.D. Indran Indrakrishnan, M.D. Terri McFadden-Garden, M.D. Amy Reeves, PA-C James Lofton Smith, Jr., M.D. Joseph L. Walker, M.D. The 2024 Graduate Medical Education survey report can be downloaded at healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov. GBHCW welcomes comments and suggestions for future editions of this report. Please send comments to leanna.greenwood@dch.ga.gov.
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