Almost half of physicians in their final year of residency training, 45%, receive 100 or more job solicitations, according to research by Merritt Hawkins, a physician permanent recruitment division of AMN Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: AMN). In addition, 66% said they received 51 or more job solicitations.

“Physicians coming out of training are being recruited like blue-chip athletes,” said Travis Singleton, executive vice president of Merritt Hawkins. “There are simply not enough new doctors to go around.”

Are newly trained physicians being contacted by recruiters too much? Yes, according to 64% of survey participants. Those saying they were contacted too little represented only 7%.

Specialists are also in demand. While the report found 69% of primary care final-year residents received 51 or more recruiting offers, 69% of internal medicine subspecialists said the same as did 64% of surgical specialists.

The report is based on 391 survey responses. Among other findings in the report:

• Only 1% of medical residents would prefer to practice in communities of 10,000 people or fewer. A majority, 65%, would prefer communities of 250,000 or more.
• 43% would prefer to be employed with a hospital, only 2% prefer a solo practice.
• On student debt, 51% said they owe $150,000 or more in student loans. However, among international medical graduates, 58% said they have no student debt.
• 19% said they would not choose medicine as a career if they had their education to do over.