Palliative Care Work-Life Balance: What Doctors Actually Say

Based on 16 verified physician responses, Palliative Care has a 4.1/10 average career satisfaction rating.88% of Palliative Care physicians say they would choose the specialty again if starting their career over. The average Palliative Care physician works 43 hours per week.

Palliative Care physicians commonly report loving: building meaningful patient relationships, intellectual stimulation and diagnostic challenges, clinical variety, the ability to make a tangible difference in patient outcomes, and procedural diversity. Many also appreciate the collegial environment and opportunities for subspecialization.

Based on SalaryDr data, Palliative Care physicians work an average of 43 hours per week. This varies by practice setting—academic and hospital-employed positions often require more hours than private practice.

The most commonly cited challenges from Palliative Care physicians include: administrative burden and documentation requirements, call schedules impacting personal time, work-life balance pressures (especially early in career), and compensation concerns relative to training length. Some also mention challenging patient populations or high-acuity cases as sources of stress.

88% of Palliative Care physicians surveyed say they would choose Palliative Careagain if starting their career over. This data is based on 16 verified, anonymous physician responses collected by SalaryDr.