RI Ranked 2nd Worst State in Country for Doctors

RI Ranked 2nd Worst State in Country for Doctors

Rhode Island is one of the worst states for doctors in the United States.

According to a new study completed by WalletHub, RI is the 2nd worst state for doctors in the country.

“Doctors are well compensated for the hard work they do to keep patients healthy. They are among the highest-paid and most educated professionals in the U.S. In fact, “physician” was the highest-paid job type in 2019, with a median base salary of over $193,000 and over 3,700 job openings during the year,” writes WalletHub.

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The rankings come out as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country.

In Rhode Island, there have been 20 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Monday, as GoLocalProv reported. 

“Doctors are one of the most essential professions, especially as the threat of coronavirus grows in the U.S. Doctors are on the front lines helping to combat the spread of this disease. Containing coronavirus, or COVID-19, will not only help America’s health but will also be essential for the healing of our economy,” writes WalletHub.

In 2019, Rhode Island ranked as the 3rd worst state for doctors. 

RI’s Rankings:

• 7th Worst - Opportunity & Competition
• 8th Worst - Medical Environment
• T-46th - Highest Projected Competition by 2026

 

The Rankings

Rhode Island is ranked ahead of only New York, who is ranked as the worst state for doctors.

RI ranks directly behind Massachusetts and Connecticut, who rank 48th and 49th respectively.

Montana is ranked as the best state for doctors in the U.S.

See the Full Rankings in the Map Below

The Method

In order to identify the best states for doctors, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Medical Environment.”

They evaluated those dimensions using 19 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for practicing doctors. 

WalletHub then determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Opportunity & Competition – Total Points: 70

• Physicians’ Average Annual Wage: Double Weight (~11.67 Points)
• Physicians’ Average Monthly Starting Salary: Full Weight (~5.83 Points).
• Hospitals per Capita: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Insured Population Rate: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Employer-Based Insurance Rate: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Projected Share of Elderly Population: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Current Competition: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Share of Medical Residents Retained: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Projected Competition: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Number of CME Credits Required: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
• Presence of Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Law: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)

 

Medical Environment – Total Points: 30

• Quality of Public Hospital System: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Hospitals Safety - Percentage of “A” Hospitals: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Presence of Nationally Accredited Health Departments: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Physician Assistants per Capita: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Punitiveness of State Medical Board: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Malpractice Award Payout Amount per Capita: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Annual Malpractice Liability Insurance Rate: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Physician Burnout: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
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