Burnout, Safety Concerns: 91 percent Indian doctors discourage children from pursuing medicine

New Delhi: A survey of 1,200 doctors in India has revealed growing concerns within the medical community over stress, burnout, and safety, with 91% doctors now hesitant to recommend medicine as a career to their children, while at least 47% have considered giving up the profession, according to the findings.

The survey gathered responses from over a thousand doctors across the country, and it suggests that a large proportion of medical professionals are facing professional pressure, which includes medico-legal challenges, fear of violence, and deteriorating work-life balance. Experts have warned that such harmful trends could affect the future medical workforce and widen India’s doctor–patient ratio gap. 

According to a report by The Times of India, a nationwide study was conducted by the Debabrata Mitalee Auro Foundation between January and June 2025, which surveyed 1,208 doctors from Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities across both government and private healthcare settings.

The findings revealed that 91.4% of doctors surveyed said they would not encourage their children to pursue medicine as a profession under current circumstances. The study also revealed that 47% of respondents have considered leaving the profession, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of India’s healthcare workforce.

Among those surveyed, 78% reported experiencing high levels of burnout in the past year, while 56% said they had symptoms consistent with anxiety or depression. Another major concern highlighted by doctors was the fear of violence and legal challenges during medical practice.

The survey found that 84% of doctors felt they were more likely than the general population to face physical or verbal assault from patients or their families, while 67% reported being named in some form of medico-legal complaint.

The report also mentioned that 61% of respondents believed that public perception of doctors has worsened over the past five years, a trend many physicians attribute to the increasing corporatisation of healthcare and growing mistrust between doctors and patients.

Commenting on the findings, Debraj Shome, founder of the Debabrata Mitalee Auro Foundation, said the results reflect deeper systemic stress within the profession. He told TOI, "When 91.4% of doctors say they would not want their children to enter medicine, it signals something deeper than routine burnout. This study shows that 78% are experiencing high burnout, and 56% report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Add to that the fact that 84% express concern about physical or verbal assault, and you begin to see how the practice environment has altered."

He further noted, "Clinical decisions are increasingly made with an awareness of potential litigation, public scrutiny, and personal vulnerability, factors that did not shape everyday practice to the same extent in previous decades. That sustained pressure inevitably influences behaviour, be it communication patterns or risk-taking, and it raises important questions about long-term workforce stability."

The study also compared the findings with global data. A 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 29% of doctors worldwide experience symptoms of depression. In the United Kingdom, according to the British Medical Association (2023), one in four doctors has considered quitting due to stress.

Researchers said the Indian figures indicate a much higher level of professional stress and attrition risk.

The foundation said the report aims to spark discussions around reforms such as structured mental health support for doctors, stronger protection against workplace violence, improved legal safeguards, and public awareness efforts to rebuild trust between doctors and patients.