Doctor shortage of 30,000 estimated by 2015
August 23, 2010
A recent study conducted by Dr Karen Haur and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association has found that less than two percent of current medical students are interested in the field of general internal medicine, and only 4.9 are thinking about pursuing a career in family care.
“We estimate a shortage of 30,000 doctors by 2015,” Dr Atul Grover, chief advocacy officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, told Time Magazine. “In 10 years, this shortage could go up to 150,000. It takes seven years to train a doctor, so we need to act now.”
This comes at a time where primary-care doctors will be needed more than ever, as aging baby boomers and seniors face chronic ailments and other medical issues. A smaller number of these physicians also means that they will be overwhelmed with patients, which the news provider claims could lead to a decrease in the quality of care.
Those who are worried about the future of their healthcare services may want to consider using a medical alert system. This device can put you in touch with family or doctors in case of an emergency, and may help cut down on trips to the hospital that could prove costly and unnecessary.
