Some interesting statistical projections for the next ten years came out during a recent panel discussion held at the annual conference in Chicago of the
Association of Staff Physician Recruiters. Here are a few highlights:
"By 2020, there is expected to be a shortage of 91,500 physicians — 45,400 primary care and 46,100 subspecialists — in the United States..."
"By 2019, the number of physicians reaching retirement age is expected to more than double, compared to 2009."
"Medical school enrollment is projected to increase 40 percent by 2015, compared to 2002, according to AAMC data. More medical schools are expected to open across the country, and growth in non-U.S. based medical schools enrolling U.S. students (such as Caribbean-based institutions) also influence this increase."
"...the number of residency and fellowship slots actually grew nearly 18 percent between 2000 and 2009..."
Read the full news report from the Becker Hospital Review by clicking on the post title. Labels: medical students, physician shortage, statistics, United States
Dr. Cecil B. Wilson,
AMA President, speaking recently to the Society of Hospital Medicine:
"Right now, the AMA estimates that there will be
a shortage of at least 125,000 physicians by 2025. The problem is not just the number of the physicians but who they are and where they practice. Some of the greatest physician shortages are in rural areas and in minority communities. Recruiting minority physicians has been a challenge, he said, in part because of the high cost of medical school, but also because there are few minority role models in the medical community."
Click on the post title for the news report by Mary Ellen Schneider on
Elevier Global Medical News.
Labels: AMA, physician shortage, United States
The
New York Times weighs in on the recent
Institute of Medicine's landmark report,
“The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” [ Doctor and Patient: Nurses’ Role in the Future of Health Care, Pauline Chen, M.D., November 18, 2010. Click title for NYT article.] "In all the discussions about adjusting the number of medical schools and training slots, rearranging physician payment schedules and reorganizing practice models, one group of providers has been conspicuously missing. The nurses."
"The expert panel is scheduled to convene again at the end of this month, this time to discuss implementing their recommendations. They will have their work cut out for them. Critics like the American Medical Association ...warns that “with a shortage of both nurses and physicians, increasing the responsibility of nurses is not the answer to the physician shortage.” "
The Times article notes...
“When the ship seems to be going down, you’ve got to get all hands on deck.”Labels: AMA, healthcare reform, healthcare workers, IOM, nursing shortage, physician shortage, role of nurse, role of physician, trends in healthcare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Only
23 percent of U.S. medical students plan to practice internal medicine and just
2 percent intend to become general practitioners, leading to a possible healthcare crisis, researchers reported on Tuesday."
Click on the link to
Reuters to read full article...
Labels: internal medicine, medical education, medical students, physician shortage
