Why 91 per cent of Indian doctors don't want their children to join the profession

In a striking reflection of the growing strain on India’s medical workforce, nine in ten doctors say they would not want their children to become physicians, according to a new nationwide survey on doctors’ mental health and morale.

The study, conducted by the Debabrata Mitalee Auro Foundation, surveyed 1,208 doctors across metropolitan cities and smaller towns over six months and found deep levels of burnout, fear of violence, and rising medico-legal anxiety among medical professionals.

A staggering 91.4 per cent of respondents said they would actively discourage their children from entering the profession, pointing to what the study describes as a crisis of confidence within the country’s healthcare system.

The findings were released alongside the book 'Doctors Are Not Murderers', authored by facial plastic surgeon Dr Debraj Shome, which explores the emotional and ethical dilemmas doctors face in their daily practice.

The survey highlights burnout as one of the most significant pressures facing doctors today. Nearly 78 per cent reported experiencing high levels of burnout in the past year, citing long working hours, increasing patient loads and administrative pressures.

Equally worrying is the fear of violence, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced across hospitals in India. About 84 per cent of doctors said they feel more likely than the average citizen to face physical or verbal assault from patients or their families.

Violence against doctors has been reported in several states in recent years, often triggered by patient deaths, treatment delays or disputes over medical bills. Medical associations have repeatedly demanded stronger enforcement of laws protecting healthcare workers.

Another major concern flagged in the study is the growing legal vulnerability doctors feel while practising medicine.

About 67 per cent of respondents said they had been named in a medico-legal complaint at some point in their careers, contributing to what many described as anxiety.

Doctors say the fear of litigation, combined with intense scrutiny on social media and rising mistrust between patients and physicians, is contributing to defensive medical practices and emotional exhaustion. The study also found worrying indicators of mental health distress.

More than half of the doctors surveyed reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, a figure significantly higher than estimates from several international studies.

A 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that about 29 per cent of doctors globally experience depression. The new survey suggests the burden among Indian physicians could be substantially higher.

Nearly 47 per cent of respondents said they had at some point considered leaving the medical profession altogether, reflecting a level of dissatisfaction that researchers describe as “alarming”.

Doctors also believe that the relationship between the medical community and society has deteriorated. About 61 per cent said public perception of doctors has worsened over the past five years.

Several factors have contributed to this shift, including high healthcare costs, misinformation on social media, litigation culture and episodes of violence against doctors. At the same time, doctors argue that systemic issues such as understaffed hospitals, overcrowded wards and inadequate public health infrastructure often place them in impossible situations.

The survey included physicians from a wide range of specialities, including general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, and gynaecology. Around 63 per cent of respondents were male and 37 per cent female, while 78 per cent worked in private healthcare settings and 22 per cent in government hospitals.

If younger generations increasingly avoid medicine as a career, the country could face serious shortages of skilled doctors in the coming decades, especially as demand for healthcare continues to rise, say experts.

India already has a doctor-population ratio below the World Health Organisation’s recommended standard in many regions, particularly in rural areas.

“When the people who dedicate their lives to saving others do not want their own children to enter the profession, it is a signal that something in the system is deeply broken,” the report notes.

The researchers have called for several systemic changes to address the crisis.

Among the key recommendations are dedicated mental health support systems for doctors, stronger legal protection against violence in hospitals, and public campaigns to rebuild trust between doctors and patients, among others. 

The study starkly concludes with the question, 'Who will choose to wear the white coat tomorrow?'