In general (everything that follows is a gross oversimplification of a diverse group of people), physicians are an interesting sort of libertarian. They make a very good salary and thus tend to be fiscally conservative. But they also see daily the pains of the disenfranchised and socially marginalized members of society and are very socially liberal. This often makes for weird conflicting positions like a desire for universal healthcare but with lower taxes.
As evidence for the social positions, our school has entire classes built around dismantling community health disparities. We have had at least 3 lectures this year dealing exclusively with the specific medical and psychological concerns of LGBT patients. And this isn't just a vestige of our admittedly liberal-leaning location. The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, aka The Psychiatrist's Bible) in 1973. A topic that is at the forefront of our national politics, hasn't been debated in medicine for over a quarter-century.
Physicians also strongly oppose capital punishment. The American Board of Anesthesiologists has implemented a policy to revoke the certification of any anesthesiologist that administers a lethal injection. The AMA has long held that aiding in capital punishment proceedings violates the Hippocratic oath.
TIL: Though women are far more likely to suffer injury or death due to domestic violence, in heterosexual couples reporting spousal violence, 27% of the time the man struck the first blow, while 24% of the time it was the woman. The rest of the time, the violence was mutual in origin.
In general, about 80% of men in domestic violence studies exhibit diagnosable psychopathology, typically taking the form of personality disorders.
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