EC Gynaecology

Medical knowledge and access to treatment do not fully protect clinicians from serious illness. Physicians generally have lower all-cause mortality than the public, yet particular causes of death and forms of morbidity are concentrated in specific professional groups. This critical narrative article examines mortality and physical and mental morbidity across career grade, gender, and clinical specialty, including individual surgical disciplines. It draws on population-linked mortality cohorts, trainee registries, occupational surveillance, and systematic reviews, while recognising that these studies measure different aspects of risk. Recent US death certificate data report lower physician mortality than that of income-comparable nonhealthcare workers, but identify substantial sex and racial differences. A separate 2023 analysis found higher adjusted mortality among surgeons than nonsurgeon physicians. Resident registries document low overall mortality relative to age-matched populations, while suicide remains a prominent cause of trainee death. International evidence indicates elevated suicide risk among female physicians relative to women in the general population, although estimates vary by era and setting. Beyond mortality, depression, burnout, pregnancy complications, musculoskeletal injury, infection, and occupational violence vary with the work clinicians do and the conditions in which they practise. Evidence on direct comparisons between grades is sparse, and specialty rankings derived from small death counts are unstable. Prevention therefore requires linked, longitudinal surveillance and workplace interventions tailored to exposure, with confidential clinical care available at every career stage. Occupational research and healthcare policy should address clinicians’ health directly.

Keywords: Clinicians; Occupational Mortality; Physician Health; Medical Trainees; Gender; Specialty; Suicide; Burnout; Occupational Morbidity

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