Salaries are down for some specialties more than others, of course. And some even went up. 
Medscape's annual physician compensation report is usually happy news. But this year's report, compiled from a survey of 24,216 physicians, indicates that "physician income declined in general."
Topping the list in income, again, were radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, followed by cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and urologists -- all making, on average, over $300,000 a year.
The downside, such as it is: Whereas last year radios and orthos made an average of $350,000, this year it was down to $315,000 -- a 10% loss. And anesthos and cardios went from $325,000 to $314,000 and $309,000, respectively.
Dermatology and plastic surgery, where we thought the big money was, compensated at a mere $283,000 and $270,000, respectively. Those numbers dropped 2% and 1% from last year. The big year-over-year losers were docs in general surgery, down 12%.
But there were gainers. Ophthalmologists, for example, jumped a whopping 9% in earning power.
At the bottom of the earning curve were pediatricians ($156,000) and family medicine practitioners ($158,000). Note that these categories actually gained in the past year -- 5% and 2%, respectively. So, by 2% and 1%, did internists ($165,000) and endocrinologists ($168,000), which just made them #3 and #4 on the low-earners list.
Male MDs make on average 40% more than female MDs, though that gap is considerably narrower in gynecology (12%). Docs make the most in the north central region of the U.S. (Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and South and North Dakota), where their average $234,000 compensation must go a long way -- pity those low-end Northeastern docs, trying to make their average $204,000 make do in pricey New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine!
Amomng practice types, single-specialty group practices ($253,000) are where it's at; academic institutions ($162,000) and outpatient clinics ($156,000) are less groovy. Board certification nearly doubles your earning power ($125,000 to $236,000).
Do physicians think their salaries are fair? Yes, barely -- 51% to 49%. Primary care docs think they're not, 54% to 46%. (Well, guys, you should have listened to your mother and become a chart-reader.) And when asked if they're "rich," only between 6% and 15% said yes, depending on specialty. (We note plastic surgeons were among the 6% group -- though, when asked whether they thought they were fairly compensated, they led the specialties at 71% affirmative.)
And only 54% said if they had to do it all over again, they'd choose a career in medicine -- but only 41% would choose the same specialty, and only 23% would choose the same practice setting.
Among the non-financial findings, doctors generally felt regulation is taking the joy out of medicine, and 43% aren't planning to follow treatment guidelines that call for less testing because "these guidelines are not in the patient's best interest."