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. 33 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 34 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. 35 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. 36 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. 37 Map 1: Location of Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024 Location of Primary Activity After Current Year of Training, 2024 38 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. 39