Physicians just completing their training are receiving fewer job offers than in the past, likely due to Covid-19, according to a survey released last week by Merritt Hawkins, a division of AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (NYSE: AMN). Female physicians are receiving more offers than male physicians but expect to earn less in their first practice.

Merritt Hawkins’ survey found 62% of new physicians received 26 or more recruiting offers this year, compared to 82% in 2019 and 86% in 2017.

Still, 86% received 11 or more recruiting offers during their training, indicating jobs are still available for new physicians.

The survey also found that 70% of female physicians just completing training received 26 or more recruiting offers during their training compared to only 54% of male residents. However, only 38% of female residents expect to earn $251,000 or more in their first practice, compared to 76% of males.

In regards to Covid, only 3% of new physicians surveyed strongly agreed that Covid-19 had caused them to rethink their choice of career while 49% strongly disagreed.

“Medical residents appear to be taking the health risks of Covid-19 in stride,” said Tom Florence, executive VP with Merritt Hawkins. “They are more concerned about their job prospects and their financial future, given the negative impact the coronavirus has had on the healthcare industry. Typically, they are inundated with recruiting offers, but that has been less the case this year due to Covid-19.”

Another finding in the survey was that new physicians had little interest in working in rural communities.

None of the respondents said they would prefer to practice in communities of 10,000 people or fewer, and only 3% would prefer to practice in communities of 25,000 people or fewer.