Which doctor specialty takes the least time?

Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine generally take the least time for training, typically requiring only a 3-year residency after medical school, making them the shortest primary care paths, while Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine also offer relatively short residencies (3-4 years) with good work-life balance potential.

What medical specialty takes the least amount of time?

In summary, the longest residency, without including any additional research years or further fellowship, is neurosurgery (7 years) and the shortest are for 3 years with family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine (depending on the program).

What doctors take the least amount of time to become?

The doctors who take the least time to become are generally in primary care fields like Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine, which have the shortest residencies (often 3-4 years) after four years of medical school, making them faster paths than surgical specialties. For an even quicker route, combined BS/MD programs starting in high school can shave off a few years by merging undergrad and med school. 

What type of doctor takes the shortest to become?

The shortest path to becoming a doctor, in terms of residency length after medical school, is around 3 years, with specialties like Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine having the shortest residency programs, alongside others like Psychiatry and Pathology. While these primary care and general medicine fields offer quicker entry into practice, the total time still involves 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of med school, and then 3 years of residency (totaling ~11 years), with 3-year residencies being the minimum training duration after medical school. 

Which doctor specialty has the most free time?

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

• Orthopedics.
• Plastic Surgery.
• Psychiatry.
• Urology.
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
• Ophthalmology.
• Dermatology.
• Allergy and Immunology.

Every Doctor Specialty Ranked by Burnout 🔥 (2025)

What is the chillest doctor specialty?

10 Physician Specialities With Low-Stress & More Flexibility

• Family Medicine.
• Otolaryngology.
• Dermatology.
• Anesthesiology.
• Ophthalmology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.
• Clinical Immunology/Allergy.

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.
 

Who is the lowest paid doctor?

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.
 

What is the least stressful doctor job?

For those prioritizing work-life balance, specialties like dermatology, ophthalmology, family medicine and psychiatry offer less stressful environments and lower rates of burnout.

What is considered the easiest medical specialty?

Least Competitive Medical Specialties

1. Family Medicine. Average Step 1 Score: 216.1. ...
2. Psychiatry. Average Step 1 Score: 223.1. ...
3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Average Step 1 Score: 224.2. ...
4. Pediatrics. Average Step 1 Score: 226.4. ...
5. Emergency Medicine. Average Step 1 Score: 231.1. ...
6. Internal Medicine (Categorical) ...
7. Anesthesiology.

What doctor specialties have the best work-life balance?

Our list of the best medical specialties for work life balance takes concerns about salary, competitiveness, happiness survey data and scheduling into account.

• Dermatology. ...
• Otolaryngology (ENT) ...
• Endocrinology. ...
• Clinical Pathology. ...
• Psychiatry. ...
• Ophthalmology. ...
• Allergy and Immunology (A/I) ...
• Pediatrics.

Is becoming a doctor at 40 too late?

If you consider yourself a nontraditional medical student, don't fret: People do enter medicine later in life — and some physicians may not begin practicing until their late 30s, 40s, or even 50s.

Is a 3.7 GPA too low for med school?

No, a 3.7 GPA is not bad for medical school; it's generally considered competitive, often around the average or slightly below for highly selective MD programs, but strong enough for many schools, especially with an upward trend and a good MCAT score. A 3.7 combined with a strong BCPM (Science) GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) and compelling extracurriculars makes you a viable applicant, though lower GPAs might need more exceptional scores or experiences to compensate. 

What is the least desirable medical specialty?

With that in mind, the five least competitive medical specialties are:

• Family medicine.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• Anesthesiology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.

Are there any 3 year MD programs?

The Accelerated Pathway to Residency Program at the Miller School of Medicine offers qualifying students the opportunity to earn an M.D. in only three years.

Which doctor has the longest residency?

Residency lengths vary by specialty. Most residencies last three to four years. The longest residency programs are neurosurgery (seven years) and plastic surgery (six to eight years).

What is the happiest doctor specialty?

According to a 2025 Medscape-based survey, some of the happiest specialties reported are Allergy & Immunology (94 %), Pathology (88 %), Dermatology (87 %), Public Health & Preventive Medicine (87 %), and Psychiatry (87 %). Medscape Physician Mental Health & Well-Being Report.

What is the easiest medical job that pays well?

Easiest high-paying medical jobs often involve shorter training, like Dental Hygienist, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Surgical Technician, or EKG Technician, offering good salaries (often $60k+) with associate degrees or certifications and good work-life balance compared to doctor roles, though stress varies. Other options with quick entry include LPN, Medical Assistant, and Pharmacy Technician, while Medical Records Tech and Health Educator provide administrative or wellness paths. 

What specialty has the most burnout?

The study found burnout varies across the medical field, with some specialties facing more severe challenges than others. Emergency medicine physicians experience the most intense burnout, with the highest emotional fatigue (68%) and depersonalization (55%).

Who are the most overpaid doctors?

The highest-paid doctors in the U.S. are neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons. These surgical specialists earn average annual salaries between $650,000 and $760,000, making them the top earners among physicians.

Which doctor works the least?

According to a survey by the AMA, only 13% of doctors aged 40-69 work fewer than 40 hours per week. Among those lucky few are pain physicians, geriatricians and podiatrists. Most doctors, however, work 40-60 hours per week.

Is $75000 a good salary in the USA?

Yes, $75,000 is generally considered a decent to good salary in most of the U.S., placing you above the median household income and comfortably middle-class in many areas, allowing for savings and expenses, but it becomes tight or insufficient in very high cost-of-living cities like New York or San Francisco. Your actual experience with this salary depends heavily on your location (high vs. low cost-of-living area), family size, and financial habits. 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300,000 or more in the U.S. are concentrated in medicine, finance, law, and high-level tech/executive roles, including specialist doctors (surgeons, anesthesiologists), C-suite executives, investment bankers, partners in big law firms, senior tech leaders (VPs/Directors of Engineering), management consultants (Partners), private equity executives, and top-tier sales directors, often involving significant bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing. Some roles, like senior airline pilots or successful entrepreneurs/tradespeople, can also reach this level without traditional degrees. 

Is the average doctor a millionaire?

One-quarter of doctors in their 60s are not even millionaires. The chart from the prior year was even more stunning, as it showed 11%-12% of doctors in their 60s didn't even have a net worth over $500,000, and only 48% of doctors over 65 were multi-millionaires.

What medical specialty is in highest demand?

Family medicine is currently the most in-demand physician specialty, according to AMN Healthcare's (formerly Merritt Hawkins) recent report on physician recruiting.