Physician retention in New York reaches highest level in nearly a decade

The percentage of physicians who go on to practice in New York State after completing their residency training continues to climb. A recent analysis conducted by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany's College of Integrated Health Sciences examined findings from their most recent New York Resident Exit Survey. They found that 52% of newly trained physicians with confirmed practice plans reported plans to stay in New York, marking a steady increase from 45% in 2015.

A rising in-state retention rate suggests that more physicians see long-term opportunity in New York's healthcare system. This is encouraging news for a state that invests heavily in graduate medical education and depends on a robust physician workforce to meet population health needs."

David Armstrong, Center for Health Workforce Studies Project Director

Center for Health Workforce Studies researchers analyzed responses from the annual New York Resident Exit Survey conducted in spring/summer 2024. The survey included over 2,300 residents and fellows who completed their medical training in New York.

Key findings

In-state retention on the rise

Retention was highest among residents with deeper ties to the state; 76% of physicians who attended both high school and medical school in New York stayed in the state to practice. 

Certain specialties saw higher levels of in-state retention; these include adult psychiatry (77%), physical medicine and rehabilitation (75%), and family medicine (74%). Other specialties were much less likely to remain in New York, most notably orthopedics (17%) and pulmonary disease (28%). This suggests that career opportunities vary by specialty and new physicians in certain specialties are more likely to leave the state to pursue better job opportunities in their field of expertise. 

The most common reason for leaving New York was a desire to be closer to family, reported by 32% of residents who chose to move out of state. 

Few new physicians plan to practice in underserved areas

Whether they choose to stay in New York State or go elsewhere, relatively few newly trained doctors plan to practice in rural or underserved communities. Only 4% of survey respondents indicated plans to work in a rural area, and just 16% planned to work in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area. These findings highlight persistent challenges in achieving equitable access to care in underserved areas throughout New York State and across the U.S.

Strong demand in select specialties

The report's "job market demand index" explored relative demand for new physicians in specific fields. 

The specialty areas with the strongest demand included anesthesiology, hematology/oncology, adult psychiatry, gastroenterology, dermatology, child and adolescent psychiatry, and endocrinology and metabolism. Demand was weakest in general surgery, emergency medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pathology and orthopedics.

"While it's encouraging to see more physicians staying in New York, we must recognize that nearly half still leave the state to practice elsewhere," Armstrong added. "There's more work to be done, in New York as well as in other states, in order to address physician shortages. It's important to monitor residency outcomes in order to develop informed strategies for the physician workforce - especially for specialties where demand is strongest - and distribute them to the areas where they are needed most."