The Best Places to Practice Medicine are Idaho, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, and South Carolina

NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The best states in America to be a practicing physician are Idaho, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, and South Carolina, according to Physicians Practice's 2012 Best States to Practice project, a data-driven ranking of the states according to the climate for practicing physicians.

Idaho's low cost of living and culture of physician independence make it the best place in America to be a practicing physician for the second straight year. The Idaho medical board's low rate of disciplinary actions against physicians; its low density of practicing physicians per capita; and its relatively friendly malpractice climate are among the reasons that Idaho is the Best State to Practice medicine.

"Along with its low cost of living, Idaho has a climate of physician independence that makes working there great for doctors," says Bob Keaveney, editorial director of Physicians Practice, which has been developing its Best States to Practice list since 2003.

The Best States to Practice ranks the states and the District of Columbia using six metrics that are important to physicians, including cost of living, tax burden, and the climate for malpractice litigation.

In addition to its annual Best States to Practice article, published in the October issue, and its detailed survey results, Physicians Practice has created a clickable map of the United States, where users can find specific data on each state, and an interactive My Best States to Practice tool, where users can manipulate the weights assigned to each metric. The tool recalculates the list based on the weights assigned by the user.

"When deciding where to practice, doctors must ultimately decide which factors are most important to themselves and their families," Keaveney said. "The Best States to Practice is meant as a starting point in that process. We're also hoping that policymakers in the lower-ranking states will take notice, and ask whether their unfriendly business climate for physicians is in the best interest of their citizens."

Physicians Practice provides award-winning practice-management advice to more than 150,000 physicians and their practice administrators throughout the United States.

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SOURCE UBM Medica US