Addressing the Physician Workforce Shortage
The United States is facing a serious shortage of physicians, largely due to the growth and aging of the population and exacerbated by older physicians who will be retiring soon.
Physician shortages pose a real risk to patients — especially for those who have been historically underserved. It is critical that the nation invest in training enough doctors so that patients in communities around the country have access to the timely, effective care they need.
How Big is the Physician Shortage?
For nearly a decade, the AAMC has commissioned a regular report by independent experts to project future supply and demand for physicians, with the primary purpose of informing policies and strategies that will help ensure the United States trains enough physicians to meet growing demands.
The most recent report, published by the AAMC in March 2024, shows that the nation will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.
The physician shortage isn’t just a future problem. Many communities in the United States already face a shortage of health care providers and struggle to access adequate health care. The Health Resources and Services Administration has currently designated 7,488 Health Professional Shortage Areas for primary care alone — areas in which almost 74 million people are living and trying to access nonspecialty health care. Moreover, in a separate analysis from its shortage projections, the AAMC found that if underserved populations were to experience the same health care use patterns as populations with fewer barriers to access, the United States would need up to 202,800 more physicians than it has just to meet current demand. This illustrates the magnitude of barriers to care and provides an additional reference point when gauging the inadequacy of physician workforce supply.
Addressing the Shortage
The AAMC advocates for a multipronged approach to address the physician shortage, including an increase in federal support for residency training; innovation in delivery of patient care, including the greater use of technology; and improved, efficient use of all health professionals on the care team.
The AAMC leads the GME Advocacy Coalition (GMEAC) — a group of over 100 physician, hospital, and patient care organizations dedicated to the expansion and preservation of Medicare-supported graduate medical education. The coalition regularly hosts Capitol Hill briefings and educational events around GME and works closely with congressional champions to promote GME legislation.
Through the AAMC’s advocacy efforts — independently and with the GMEAC — the academic medicine community and policymakers are making real progress in efforts to meet the nation’s projected health care needs.
Medical schools have increased enrollment by over 35% since 2002, and 15% in just the past 10 years. Enrollment numbers (PDF) are currently at historic highs, and more than 30 new MD-granting medical schools have opened since 2002.
To meet the nation’s health care needs, policymakers must continue to invest in Medicare support for GME and other targeted workforce programs. Both sustained and increased investments in training new physicians are critical to mitigating projected shortfalls of doctors needed to meet the health care needs of our country. The AAMC endorses bipartisan legislation introduced in the House and Senate that would gradually expand the number of Medicare-supported residency positions by 14,000 over seven years.
AAMC Physician Workforce Data
The AAMC regularly publishes updated data on the physician workforce: