Physician Trends

Young physicians eschew private practice.
On its front page, the New York Times (4/23, A1, Harris, Subscription Publication) reported on the difficulty that 62-year-old Dr. Ronald Sroka has had trying to sell his family medical practice in Crofton, Maryland. Younger physicians "are refusing to take over these small practices. They want better lifestyles, shorter work days, and weekends free of the beepers, cellphones and patient emergencies that have long defined doctors' lives. Weighed down with debt, they want regular paychecks instead of shopkeeper risks." Furthermore, "even if they wanted such practices, banks - attuned to the growing uncertainties - are far less likely to lend the money needed."