So... because the supply of doctors is restricted but demand for doctors grows proportionally to the population, the amount of work per doctor gradually increases and doctors, persuaded by their ethical obligation of care, put up with it as long as possible until they snap.

Yeah?

I just recently had a friend completely burn out of medicine, sell his house, and start traveling the world. He was brilliant, a good doctor, a good person. It's a shame he's been driven out, and so many others.

I also recently had the experience of seeing a young doctor bright-eyed and busy-tailed treat me once, and then six months later see him again. The toll that those six months took on him was visible. He was just about haggard with the work. It's easy to imagine he won't last long.

I feel there's an interesting parallel with teaching. Teaching and medicine both have licensure requirements, both have a strong appeal to people who care and want to make a difference in the lives of children/patients. And in both cases the profession is gradually being taken over by administrators and subject to increasingly onerous regulations.

I also recently had a friend burn out of teaching. She's set to work in a completely unrelated industry now. She put up with crap for a long time due to her care for the children, but at last she couldn't take it.

My libertarian side says these are two improperly functioning markets, with massive human casualties. It's a shame.