Here is some data showing the relative job markets of the different specialties and subspecialties. Generally speaking, people in the primary care specialties have the easiest time finding a job. This information is from the most recent survey to appear in JAMA. The reference is JAMA, 280(9):777-83 1998 Sep 2. The unemployment rates for recent graduates during the survey period were:
Specialty Unemployed Comment
Orthopedic Surgery 1.0 Best
Pulmonary Disease&Crit Care 1.3 Second Best
Emergency Medicine 1.5
Ob/Gyn 2.1
Otolaryngology 2.1
Urology 3.8
Dermatology 4.7
Family practice 4.9
Psychiarty 5.2
Cardiovascular disease 5.7
Hematology/oncology 6.0
Pulmonary disease 6.1
General Surgery 6.2
Gastroenterology 6.4
Neurology 6.5
Diagnostic radiology 6.7
Endocrinology 6.7
Rheumatology 6.8
Anesthesiology 7.3
Physical Med and Rehab 7.5
Nephrology 7.9
Critical Care Medicine 8.0
Plastic Surgery 9.2
Pediatrics 9.3
Infectious Disease 10.3
Internal Medicine 11.1
Ophthalmology 11.6
Oncology 12.5
Geriatric Medicine 14.3
Pathology - Anatomic&Clinical 14.7 Second Worst
Hematology 19.0 Worst