Does the US have a shortage of primary care physicians?

Asked by: Rowena Nitzsche  |  Last update: August 30, 2023
Score: 4.7/5 (5 votes)

One of the major reasons for this decline is that we have fewer of these doctors today. According to projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), there will be a primary care physician shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 doctors by 2034.

What is the projected shortage of primary care physicians?

Experts predict that the U.S. will be short between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. For many, those numbers may seem too abstract to fathom or the year too far away to ponder given more immediate concerns.

What type of areas are most likely to have a shortage of primary care physicians?

The relative shortage of physicians in rural areas of the United States is 1 of the few constants in any description of the US medical care system. About 20% of the US population—more than 50 million people—live in rural areas, but only 9% of the nation's physicians practice in rural communities.

What states have the highest doctor shortage?

Ten states predicted to have the greatest shortages of physicians by 2030:
  • California — 32,669.
  • Florida — 21,978.
  • Texas — 20,420.
  • Arizona — 8,280.
  • Georgia — 8,012.
  • North Carolina — 7,725.
  • Illinois — 6,203.
  • Washington — 6,037.

Why is there an expected shortage of physicians?

For Frankel, the issue boils down to “an increased demand and relatively fixed supply in the physician labor market. Training new physicians is a time-consuming and expensive process, and there are only so many medical schools in the U.S., with so many seats,” and which have not kept up with the demand for physicians.

Examining Detrimental Effects Of U.S. Doctor Shortage

41 related questions found

Will America face a shortage of primary care physicians within a decade or so?

The US is expected to face a shortage of primary care physicians ranging from 21,000 to 55,000 by the year 2033. Both patients and doctors are getting older. As patients age, they tend to need more care from their PCPs to address the proliferation of medical problems and medications that inevitably comes with aging.

Is there a physician vs nurse shortage?

The country faces a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, including 48,000 primary care physicians, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Hospitals are currently facing shortages of registered nurses as burnout and other factors drive them to other roles.

Which doctors are in high demand in USA?

Top 7 In-Demand Physician Specialists
  1. Primary care physicians: Primary care physicians specialize in family medicine, internal medicine, geriatrics and pediatrics and are often the first point of contact for patients. ...
  2. Internal medicine. ...
  3. Emergency medicine. ...
  4. Psychiatry. ...
  5. Gynecology. ...
  6. Neurology. ...
  7. Radiology.

What doctor specialties are in shortage?

“We are hearing a lot about an increasing shortage in the surgical specialties, particularly vascular surgery and neurosurgery, but also general surgery, urology, and ophthalmology. And these shortages are severe in some rural areas,” Dr. Orlowski said.

What state is easiest to become a doctor?

Below are three U.S. States that grant medical licenses the quickest:
  • New York. Employment, malpractice, privileges, and medical licenses are not verified in New York, making it one of the fastest states to get medical licenses. ...
  • Indiana. ...
  • Michigan. ...
  • Massachusetts. ...
  • Texas. ...
  • New Jersey.

How many Americans do not have a primary care physician?

With more than 100 million Americans without a primary care doctor, community health centers can help fill the gap.

Why are there so few doctors in the US?

3 | Limited Number of Residency Spots

Perhaps the largest factor limiting our ability to produce more physicians, however, is the limited number of residency positions offered each year. To practice medicine as a physician in the United States, you must complete 3 to 7 years of residency training after medical school.

Does the US need more doctors?

In the 2010s, a study released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) titled The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2019 to 2034 specifically projected a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 individuals within the following two decades, approximately.

Are more physicians retiring?

THE LARGER TREND

This means more than two of every five active physicians will reach age 65 within the next 10 years. With a projected shortage of nearly 140,000 physicians by 2033, and a shortage of tjree million lower-wage healthcare workers in the next five years, U.S. Surgeon General Dr.

How do you solve primary care crisis?

Have the government cover the cost of medical school for students who devote ten years or more to primary care. Provide more CMS residency subsidies to primary care fields. Encourage direct primary care models. Create “Primary Care Trusts” that provide state-based universal coverage for primary care.

What doctor is highest in demand?

In 2022, primary care specialties, such as family and emergency medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology, were some of the most highly recruited specialties on Doximity, as front-line physicians continue to be in high demand. Psychiatry also took two of the top five spots in 2022.

What is the primary care crisis in the United States?

Primary care in the United States is on the brink of collapse. Primary care providers suffer existential burnout, are the lowest compensated of all medical specialties, and there is a crisis-level shortage of primary care physicians, especially in health professional shortage areas.

What is the most requested medical specialty?

Ten most in-demand specialties:
  • Family medicine.
  • Psychiatry.
  • Internal medicine.
  • Emergency medicine.
  • Child and adolescent psychiatry.
  • Obstetrics and gynecology.
  • Anesthesiology.
  • Urgent care.

What is the best Doctor salary in USA?

Average Salary of a Doctor in the U.S.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a medical doctor in the U.S. is $1,65,347 (around INR 13 million) per year. The highest average annual wage was $208,000 (Around INR 17 million) which went up from the lowest of $126,470 (Around INR 10 million).

What is the best Doctor to become with high salary?

Top 19 high-paying doctor jobs
  • Surgeon.
  • Dermatologist.
  • Orthopedist.
  • Urologist.
  • Neurologist.
  • Orthodontist.
  • Anesthesiologist.
  • Cardiology physician.

What is the highest paying jobs except Doctor?

21 highest-paying nonmedical jobs
  • Judge.
  • Nuclear engineer.
  • Risk manager.
  • Compensation and benefits manager.
  • Statistician.
  • Finance manager.
  • Front-end developer.
  • Economist.

Why do doctors make more than nurses?

It's all about the salary

On another note, let's focus on this one objective finding. Doctors have a higher salary than the nurses, mainly because of their education, title, and license. While this may be indulging disparity, that is how the world have went on in the past, and will always be in the future.

Is the physician shortage real?

The ongoing healthcare staffing shortage is one of the most pressing issues facing healthcare organizations today. According to research from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States may face a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033.

Which job is harder doctor or nurse?

Instead most are more focused on doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. Is being a nurse harder than being a doctor? No, being a nurse and being a doctor are both equally hard. While they both face different challenges it's hard to look at either profession and say that one is “easier” than the other.