The Hire Connection: The Physician Shortage: 5 Myths & 1 Fact

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has been warning of the physician shortage for years. They predict that the States will be short 90,000 physicians by 2020 and 130,000 physicians by 2025. While we are still at least four years out from that initial prediction, the initial strains of the physician shortage can already be felt. This week, our healthcare recruiting experts are here to increase awareness of this modern healthcare crisis by dispelling some of the common myths and misunderstandings surrounding the physician shortage.

Myth #1: All Specialties Will Be Hit Equally
When they hear the words "physician shortage," some people assume that the United States will be short of all types of physicians. However, the truth is that the shortage will likely impact the primary care industry more than others. For this reason, some people refer to the physician shortage as the "primary care crisis."

Myth #2: Primary Care Is The Only Field That Will Suffer
By the same token, it's important to be aware that while the primary care industry is expected to be hit more than many other medicinal fields, it is not the only arena that will suffer. The AAMC predicts that America will be short 21,400 surgeons by 2020, Becker's Hospital Review projects that America will be short 1,500 oncologists by 2025.

Myth #3: All Geographic Locations Will Suffer Equally
While the physician shortage is expected to impact all of the United States, the simple truth is that bigger cities have an advantage over rural areas. Several larger, more densely populated states (such as Colorado, California, Texas, and New York) will likely experience far fewer challenges than their smaller counterparts.

Myth #4: The Physician Shortage Is The Result Of Fewer People Pursuing Medical Careers
Some people believe that the physician shortage has been caused by fewer and fewer people pursuing medical degrees. However, the truth is that the shortage is mainly caused by the age of many of today's physicians and our rapidly increasing population. Becker's Hospital Review projects that population growth alone will cause the U.S. to need 33,000 new physicians in the next ten years. At the same time, a large percentage of our current physicians are nearing retirement age. Pursuing a career as a physician requires many years of education and residency programs, making it difficult for the incoming number of physicians to keep up with the number of outgoing physicians preparing for retirement.

Myth #5: The Educational System Will Help Us Overcome The Physician Shortage
Unfortunately, the answer to our physician shortage problems may not lie within our educational systems. While there are thousands of aspiring new physicians desiring to pursue medical careers, the acceptance rate for medical institutes is despairingly low. The average acceptance rate hovers around 44.5% - and can fall to as low as 10% for certain institutions. When it comes to combating the physician shortage, this low acceptance rate certainly isn't helping things.

FACT: The Hire Connection Can Help You Combat The Physician Shortage
While there may be no apparent solution for the physician shortage on a national level, all is not lost. You can minimize the affects of the physician shortage on your specific facility by being proactive and seeking assistance from an experienced healthcare recruiting company. Together, we can develop concrete strategies to help your organization stay ahead of the game. Contact The Hire Connection for more information about our physician recruiting services.

The Hire Connection Team