Life expectancy of UK physicians in the early 21st century: An analysis of 1,000 fellows from the Royal College of Physicians' Munk's Roll

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine life expectancy among UK physicians using the Royal College of Physicians' (RCP) Munk's Roll and to identify demographic or professional factors associated with longevity.

DESIGN: Retrospective observational study of biographical records.

SETTING: Munk's Roll, RCP.

PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 1,000 fellows from Volume XII (2005-2023).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at death; associations with sex, birthplace, place of qualification, specialty and hobbies.

RESULTS: 995 fellows (915 male, 80 female) were included. Median age at death: 84.0 years (range 34.7-105.0). Men lived longer than women (84.2 vs 80.5 years, p = 0.033). Fellows with obituaries mentioning gardening lived longer than those without (86.0 vs 83.5 years, p = 0.0008). Median age at death varied by region of qualification: North America 94.0, Europe 92.9, Australasia 87.5, Ireland 87.7, UK 84.1, and Indian subcontinent 76.0 years. Age at death differed significantly by region of qualification (p < 0.0001), with fellows qualifying in the Indian subcontinent living notably shorter lives. There were no consistent differences in longevity across specialty groups after adjustment, although pathologists had longer survival (+8.0 years vs cardiologists, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: UK physicians recorded in the Munk's Roll have substantially higher life expectancy than the general population. Sex differences favouring male physicians and longevity advantages associated with gardening and certain qualification regions were observed. Specialty was not a major determinant of survival. These findings highlight historical inequalities within the profession and the potential importance of wellbeing-related activities in supporting physician longevity.