RI Named 2021's Worst State For Doctors: WalletHub

PROVIDENCE, RI — March 30 is National Doctors' Day, and with all health care professionals facing unprecedented challenges this year, personal finance website WalletHub compiled a new ranking to see which states were the best — and worst — for doctors to live and work. The list paints a grim picture for Rhode Island, which came in last place behind all other U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

To compile the ranking, WalletHub examined 19 key metrics, ranging from starting salary and number of hospitals to the rate of physician burnout. While Rhode Island was in last place, its New England neighbors did not fare much better, with Massachusetts at number 46 and New Hampshire at number 42.

Because being a physician is such a demanding job, Don Brady, the interim chair of Health Care Administration at Methodist University in North Carolina, encouraged students to figure out which specialty best suits them while in medical school.

"Doctors have very different lifestyles depending on their specialty," Brady said, explaining that an obstetrician/gynecologist can expect to be on call frequently on weekends and holidays, while emergency room doctors usually work a rotating schedule of three 12-hour shifts. "Medical students should determine the areas of medicine that interest them and then consider lifestyle. Doctors need to consider both for a happy life."

One of the factors that put Rhode Island so low on the list was competition. The state tied for 48th place with New York and Washington, D.C. for highest expected competition by 2028.

Here's a look at the top 10 states for doctors in 2021, according to WalletHub.

1. Montana
2. Minnesota
3. Idaho
4. Wisconsin
5. Kansas
6. Tennessee
7. North Dakota
8. Nebraska
9. Mississippi
10. Iowa

See the full ranking on WalletHub's website.