WalletHub: R.I. third worst for doctors

WALLETHUB SAID Rhode Island is the third-worst state for doctors. / COURTESY WALLETHUB
WALLETHUB SAID Rhode Island is the third-worst state for doctors. / COURTESY WALLETHUB

PROVIDENCE – With National Doctors’ Day just two days away, WalletHub conducted a study to find the best and worst states for doctors, and Rhode Island came in third worst, due to high competition and highest malpractice awards per capita, among other factors.
Rhode Island ranked 49th on the list, above only New York and Washington, D.C.
In the opportunity and competition subcategory, the Ocean State was second to last.
In medical quality, it ranked 46th.
Rhode Island also tied with Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania for having the highest malpractice award payouts per capita in the nation.
In addition, Rhode Island ranked 45th for cost of living-adjusted mean annual wage. It received its highest ranking – 18th – for projected percentage of the population aged 65 and older by 2030.
The top five states for doctors?
In order, Mississippi, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Idaho. Mississippi also was No. 1 in opportunity and competition.
“Doctors are among the most highly paid, educated and celebrated professionals in the U.S. Doctors are deserving, after all, given the importance of their life-saving work and all of the struggles associated with life in the medical profession,” WalletHub said. “Not only does the average medical-school graduate leave campus with roughly $180,000 in debt, but the medical profession has also been undergoing intense transformation in recent years,” noting the onset of the Affordable Care Act.
WalletHub said that it studied 11 areas to come up with its findings, to help doctors make the most informed decisions as to where to practice.

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