How many hours do doctors work weekly?

Doctors' weekly hours vary significantly by specialty, experience, and practice setting, but most work 40-60 hours per week, with many exceeding 60 hours due to long shifts, on-call duties, and extensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) work, while residents often work longer, even 80+ hour weeks during training. Specialties like Surgery (65 hrs) often see longer weeks, while Dermatology (40 hrs) or Emergency Medicine (38 hrs) can be shorter, though many still put in substantial time on EHRs outside normal hours, impacting work-life balance.

How many hours a week do most doctors work?

Most physicians and surgeons work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Many physicians and surgeons work long shifts, which may include irregular and overnight hours or being on call. Physicians and surgeons may travel between their offices and the hospital to care for patients.

Is being a doctor a 9 to 5 job?

No, most doctors do not work a standard 9-to-5; their hours are often long, irregular, and include nights, weekends, and on-call shifts, varying greatly by specialty, with roles like ER or OB/GYN having less fixed schedules, while some outpatient or VA physicians might find more 9-to-5 opportunities, though still typically exceeding 40 hours weekly. 

Do doctors work 7 days on 7 days off?

Yes, many hospital-based doctors, especially hospitalists, work a common "7 days on, 7 days off" schedule, working long shifts (often 12 hours) for a week, including weekends, then having a full week off, which allows for long periods of rest but can lead to burnout during work weeks. This schedule ensures continuity of care for patients but is just one model, with other specialties like emergency medicine or surgery having different patterns, and some doctors even prefer more frequent, shorter shifts.
 

What doctor makes $500,000 a year?

Doctors in surgical and high-demand procedural specialties frequently earn over $500,000 annually, with top earners often being Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Thoracic Surgery, driven by complex skills, high demand (especially with aging populations), and lucrative elective procedures or emergency needs. Other fields like Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Anesthesiology also see average incomes exceeding this threshold.
 

How Many Hours Does A Doctor Work [Full Breakdown]

What is the most overworked doctor?

Emergency medicine physicians experience the most intense burnout, with the highest emotional fatigue (68%) and depersonalization (55%). Therapists reported the next-highest rate of emotional fatigue at 61%, along with the highest mental fatigue (77%).

What's the longest shift a doctor can work?

Yes, doctors can work 24-hour shifts. They are not on their feet, working for the duration of the shift, however. The 24 hours alludes to how long they're on call. Physicians are permitted to rest when they can find time during this shift, but they must be ready to go if or when they are called to attend to a patient.

Do GPs only work 3 days a week?

Historically defined (British Medical Association) as just over 4 hours for a half day, they found that most GPs are working ≥6 hours per session, or 50% beyond what is contracted. The current reality of GP clinical work is that 3 clinical days equates to a full-time job.

What does a doctor's work schedule look like?

A typical doctor's schedule involves 40-60+ hour weeks, varying significantly by specialty, with primary care often 40-50 hours and surgical/specialty fields potentially exceeding 60 hours, including long shifts, overnight calls, and significant time spent on electronic health records (EHR) and administrative tasks outside patient care. Daily routines blend patient appointments (in-person/telehealth), hospital rounds, and extensive charting, often extending hours past clinic closing. 

What is the lowest a doctor makes?

The lowest-paid doctor specialties consistently fall in primary care and certain pediatric subspecialties, with Pediatrics often cited as the lowest overall, followed by Public Health/Preventive Medicine, Family Medicine, and pediatric subspecialties like Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases. These roles offer lower compensation than surgical or high-demand adult specialties, often due to the broad nature of primary care and the focus on children's health, though they provide excellent work-life balance for many.
 

How old is the youngest doctor?

The youngest person to become a doctor, according to Guinness World Records, is Dr. Balamurali Ambati, who earned his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1995 at the age of 17 years, 294 days, after completing school and college at exceptionally young ages. He graduated from high school at 11, NYU at 13, and finished medical school shortly after turning 17, becoming the world's youngest physician.
 

What doctor has the best work-life balance?

Medical Specialties with Good Work/Life Balance and Low Burnout Rates

• Public Health & Preventive Medicine.
• Pathology.
• Cardiology.
• Nephrology.
• Orthopedics.
• Plastic Surgery.
• Psychiatry.
• Urology.

Do surgeons make more than doctors?

As you can see, surgeons tend to make more money than nonsurgical physicians. In fact, the five highest-paying medical specialties are all surgical specialties—oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, thoracic surgery, and neurosurgery.

Which type of doctor works the least hours?

Most doctors, however, work 40-60 hours per week. Among them, according to a survey by Medscape, allergists and immunologists work the least number of hours at 44.1 hours per week, followed closely by dermatologists, emergency medicine doctors and psychiatrists.

How stressful is being a physician?

Yes, being a doctor is often highly stressful, given the immense responsibilities and pressures associated with the profession. One significant source of stress is the necessity to make critical decisions quickly and accurately, sometimes in life-threatening situations.

What do doctors do all day?

From the moment they walk into their clinic or office, their day is a balance of diagnosing, educating, and supporting patients across a wide spectrum of health concerns.

Do GPs get paid a lot?

General practitioners

From 1 April 2025, the pay range for salaried GPs is £76,038 to £114,743.

How often should a 25 year old go to the doctor?

How often should you see your doctor? If you're a 20-something who is healthy, your weight, blood pressure and other screenings are negative, and you don't have any red flags in your family history, you should visit your primary care provider at least every couple of years.

How much are doctors paid per hour in the USA?

As of Jan 15, 2026, the average annual pay for a Doctor in the United States is $132,499 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $63.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,548/week or $11,041/month.

How long do doctors go without sleep?

At the request of Congress, the physician body had audited the ACGME rules and said that the limit for shifts should be 16 hours. (Or 30 hours with a “5-hour protected sleep period” in the middle. Which sounds meager, but there were times I would have sold my soul for even 20 minutes of sleep.)

Do doctors get weekends off in the USA?

Do Doctors Get Weekends Off? It depends on the specialty and work setting. Primary care doctors often have weekends off, while hospital-based doctors might work weekends and get weekdays off instead.

What is the most underpaid doctor?

These are the lowest-paid medical specialties, ranked by median salary:

• Pediatric Endocrinology: $218,000.
• Pediatric Infectious Disease: $221,000.
• Pediatrics: $243,000.
• Family Medicine: $255,000.
• Geriatrics: $275,000.
• Preventive Medicine: $275,000.
• Endocrinology: $276,000.
• Infectious Disease: $288,000.

What is the golden rule for doctors?

But the essence of medical ethics, the golden rule, has been largely overlooked or undervalued: “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). If man lived alone, a code of ethics would be superfluous; only in society does it become requisite and intelligible.

Who are the happiest doctors?

Doctors in the following fields had the highest rates of agreeing that happiness in their specialty was possible:

• Allergy and immunology: 94%
• Pathology: 88%
• Dermatology: 87%
• Public health and preventive medicine: 87%
• Psychiatry: 87%
• Ophthalmology: 84%
• Otolaryngology: 81%
• Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery: 81%