Baby Boomers May Face Deficit in Doctors

In a recent article at Medical News Today, it considers the number of doctors available to aging Baby Boomers. At this time, the medical workforce is too small to support the growing needs of the generation as it turns 65. Adjustments need to be made in order for more doctors to go into geriatrics. Instead, the current portion of doctors specialized in geriatrics is barely growing.

According to this article at AMNews, there are 7,100 geriatricians today. Most startling is:

By 2030, there will be an estimated 8,000 geriatricians, but the nation will need 36,000, according to the Assn. of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs.

This lack of growth appears to be the result of doctors working in a poorly compensated specialty; geriatric doctors are reimbursed far less than doctors who specialize in other areas. In turn, this seems to contribute to the long term stagnation of medical school graduates specializing in internal and family medicine.