Doctors are now considered more heroic than soldiers and firefighters, according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans. The survey, conducted by leading direct-to-consumer life insurance provider Vantis Life, asked 2,000 U.S. residents to rank 22 professions based on how heroic they are. Vantis Life fielded this same survey in 2019 and their 2020 results reveal changes that the company believes are directly related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The top five professions that ranked most heroic still involve either saving someone’s life or risking their own, but doctors moved from the number four spot last year to the top spot this year and nurses moved up the list as well.
The survey also asked respondents to rank the essential elements or qualities that define a profession as heroic, their importance and how they should be compensated. When it comes to the importance of these professions in our day-to-day lives, the study showed people view health care providers as the most important. In 2020 and in 2019, doctors ranked number one. However, nurses, who ranked fifth in 2019, moved up to the number two spot in 2020. The reason is most likely due to them having to face the COVID-19 pandemic in their everyday jobs. Education is also still considered important to the American public and this explains why teachers took the number three spot.
Another change worth mentioning is the importance of farmers. When it comes to importance in 2019, farmers were ranked eighth, and this year they ranked sixth. Farmers have played a vital role in helping to keep our food supply chain operating during the pandemic, and that could explain their rise in the 2020 ranking.
According to Manny Lirio, AVP Consumer Marketing at Vantis Life, “People who pursue life-saving or life-risking careers play a crucial role in American society. It’s gratifying to see that those ranked as most heroic are the people ensuring our health, safety and educational development.”
“This study reminds us that heroes don’t always wear capes,” Lirio continues. “Real heroes are the thousands of men and women across our country who dedicate their lives to helping others. Vantis Life has always believed that caring for others is a heroic quality, that’s why for years they’ve been telling anyone who protects their loved ones with life insurance that they can be a real life hero, regardless of occupation.”