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How long do physicians live?
FROM THE EDITOR
How Long Do Physicians Live? (2) the mean age of death of the female physicians was younger than that of their male counterparts; and (3) the mean age at death varied among the various subspecialties. The 9,705 male physicians lived a total of 689,184 years, an average of 7 1.O years each; the 365 female physicians lived a total of 25,495 years, an average of 69.9 years each. Among the various subspecialties, those surviving the shortest periods on the average were neurosurgeons (58.9 years), anesthesiologists (58.9 years), family practitioners (62.4 years) and pathologists (63.9 years). The longest survivors on the average were those classified as both ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists (79.3 years), next those classified as otolaryngologists (76.7 years), and then those boarded \in preventive medicine (74.4 years). The pediatricians survived on an average longer than did the internists (69.2 years vs 66.7 years). The specific numbers on survival for adult cardiologists, pediatric cardiologists, and cardiovascular surgeons are not available.
In the USA today (1980 life tables), life expectancy from birth for white females is 78.1 years, for black females, 72.3 years, for white males,’ 70.7 years, and for black males, 63.7 years.’ For persons who have reached age 25 years in the USA, an age reached by >95 % of persons at the time of graduation from medical school, life expectancy is even greater. Thus, of persons reaching age 25 years, 54.5 additional years (to age 79.5) can be expected for white women and 49.5 additional years (to age 74.5) for black women, 47.8 additional years for white men (to age 72.8) and 41.7 additional years for black men (to age 66.7).’ Although physicians, of course, are included in these 1980 statistics, these expected ages are not reached by most USA graduates of USA medical schools. In the Journal of the American Medical Association each week is a column entitled “Obituaries.” Included in it are the names of recently deceased physicians, their ages at death, the name of the medical school from which they graduated, frequently the American specialty board by which they were certified, and the date of their death. Their race is not included. For the 3 years 198 1, 1982 and 1983 the age at death of the male and female physicians according to speciality was determined and the results of these tabulations are summarized in the accompanying table. The table discloses 3 clear findings: (1) the average age at death of both the male and female physicians was below the national average for persons who had reached age 25 years; Mean Length of Survival 1981, 1982 and 1983
of Physicians
Listed in the Obituaries
William C. Roberts, MD Editor in Chief 1. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1980, Vol. II, Sec. 6, Life Tables, DHHS Pub. No. (PHS) 84-1104. Public Health Service, Washington, DC., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1984, 16 pp.
Section
Men Mean Age at Death (year)
No.
Unspecified Internal medicine Surgery Obstetrics & gynecology Psychiatry & neurology Pediatrics Radiology Pathology Opthalmology (Op) Otolaryngology (Ot) Orthopedic surgery Urology Family practice Anesthesiology Dermatology
6,182 514 409 355 303 267 216 200 182 176 159 152 151 107 82 72 40
72.7 66.8 ” 67.0 68.6 68.7 69.5 67.1 64.1 70.1 76.6 67.0 71.5 62.7 59.2 71.2 74.5 66.0
:5
58.9 79.3
Thoracic
medicine
surgery
Neurosurgery op + ot
Plastic surgery All Others Totals
99’ 9,705
of the American
No. 254 13 4 280 12 6 3’ 2 : 6 10 6 ;
71.0
Mean Age at Death (year) 70.9 61.0 72.0 73.9 72.7 63.0 82.8 58.7 80.7 82.0 Li.a 55.8 81.0 73.0 65.5
i
64.0 67.6
Total Years
No. 6,436 527 413 363 323 279 222 207 185 178 159 152 157 117 ;i 42 ::
7 : 365
Medical
Association,
Totals
Women
Speciality
Preventive
of the Journal
&is 69.9
105 10,070
Mean Age at Death (year)
467,667 35,149 27,706 24,943 22,259 19,305 14,988 13,230 13,007 13,643 10,656 10,871 9,800 6,891 6,323 5,801 2,769
72.7 66.7 67.1 68.7 68.9 69.2 67.5 63.9 70.3 76.7 67.0 71.5 62.4 58.9 71.9 74.4 65.9
1,001 1,190
58.9 79.3
448 7,032
64.0 67.0
714,679
71.0
How Long Do Physicians Live? (2) the mean age of death of the female physicians was younger than that of their male counterparts; and (3) the mean age at death varied among the various subspecialties. The 9,705 male physicians lived a total of 689,184 years, an average of 7 1.O years each; the 365 female physicians lived a total of 25,495 years, an average of 69.9 years each. Among the various subspecialties, those surviving the shortest periods on the average were neurosurgeons (58.9 years), anesthesiologists (58.9 years), family practitioners (62.4 years) and pathologists (63.9 years). The longest survivors on the average were those classified as both ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists (79.3 years), next those classified as otolaryngologists (76.7 years), and then those boarded \in preventive medicine (74.4 years). The pediatricians survived on an average longer than did the internists (69.2 years vs 66.7 years). The specific numbers on survival for adult cardiologists, pediatric cardiologists, and cardiovascular surgeons are not available.
In the USA today (1980 life tables), life expectancy from birth for white females is 78.1 years, for black females, 72.3 years, for white males,’ 70.7 years, and for black males, 63.7 years.’ For persons who have reached age 25 years in the USA, an age reached by >95 % of persons at the time of graduation from medical school, life expectancy is even greater. Thus, of persons reaching age 25 years, 54.5 additional years (to age 79.5) can be expected for white women and 49.5 additional years (to age 74.5) for black women, 47.8 additional years for white men (to age 72.8) and 41.7 additional years for black men (to age 66.7).’ Although physicians, of course, are included in these 1980 statistics, these expected ages are not reached by most USA graduates of USA medical schools. In the Journal of the American Medical Association each week is a column entitled “Obituaries.” Included in it are the names of recently deceased physicians, their ages at death, the name of the medical school from which they graduated, frequently the American specialty board by which they were certified, and the date of their death. Their race is not included. For the 3 years 198 1, 1982 and 1983 the age at death of the male and female physicians according to speciality was determined and the results of these tabulations are summarized in the accompanying table. The table discloses 3 clear findings: (1) the average age at death of both the male and female physicians was below the national average for persons who had reached age 25 years; Mean Length of Survival 1981, 1982 and 1983
of Physicians
Listed in the Obituaries
William C. Roberts, MD Editor in Chief 1. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1980, Vol. II, Sec. 6, Life Tables, DHHS Pub. No. (PHS) 84-1104. Public Health Service, Washington, DC., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1984, 16 pp.
Section
Men Mean Age at Death (year)
No.
Unspecified Internal medicine Surgery Obstetrics & gynecology Psychiatry & neurology Pediatrics Radiology Pathology Opthalmology (Op) Otolaryngology (Ot) Orthopedic surgery Urology Family practice Anesthesiology Dermatology
6,182 514 409 355 303 267 216 200 182 176 159 152 151 107 82 72 40
72.7 66.8 ” 67.0 68.6 68.7 69.5 67.1 64.1 70.1 76.6 67.0 71.5 62.7 59.2 71.2 74.5 66.0
:5
58.9 79.3
Thoracic
medicine
surgery
Neurosurgery op + ot
Plastic surgery All Others Totals
99’ 9,705
of the American
No. 254 13 4 280 12 6 3’ 2 : 6 10 6 ;
71.0
Mean Age at Death (year) 70.9 61.0 72.0 73.9 72.7 63.0 82.8 58.7 80.7 82.0 Li.a 55.8 81.0 73.0 65.5
i
64.0 67.6
Total Years
No. 6,436 527 413 363 323 279 222 207 185 178 159 152 157 117 ;i 42 ::
7 : 365
Medical
Association,
Totals
Women
Speciality
Preventive
of the Journal
&is 69.9
105 10,070
Mean Age at Death (year)
467,667 35,149 27,706 24,943 22,259 19,305 14,988 13,230 13,007 13,643 10,656 10,871 9,800 6,891 6,323 5,801 2,769
72.7 66.7 67.1 68.7 68.9 69.2 67.5 63.9 70.3 76.7 67.0 71.5 62.4 58.9 71.9 74.4 65.9
1,001 1,190
58.9 79.3
448 7,032
64.0 67.0
714,679
71.0