The American Medical Group Association and Cejka Search conducted a survey of 50 AMGA member groups comprised of 9,985 physicians to determine which factors have the greatest effect on physician retention within an organization.
According to the survey's results, full-time and part-time males over age 55 and part-time females under age 39 are at the greatest risk for leaving their organization. Among the total number of physicians over age 55 who left the respondent groups' organizations in 2008, 30 percent were men while only 9 percent were women.
The survey also looked at physicians' reasons for leaving their organizations, and found the following:
| All Groups | Male | Female | |
| Voluntary separation | 73% | 67% | 85% |
| Termination | 14% | 16% | 11% |
| Retirement | 11% | 15% | 4% |
| Death | 2% | 2% | 0% |
Among those who voluntarily resigned, the top reason given was "poor cultural fit" (50%) while "relocated to be closer to family" (32%) and "seeking higher compensation" (26%) were among the other top reasons.
The survey identified financial incentives as a key factor in improving recruiting efforts, while physician supply was cited as a major barrier to recruitment. "Respondents reported that competitive compensation, benefits and incentives minimize the effects of these barriers," the AMGA and Cejka Search report states. "They reported an expanding use of physician networking and involvement with local medical schools to develop a rapport with students earlier in the education cycle."