title: Physician glut. Physicians--the next victims of "downsizing?".
abstract: Should physicians really be polishing up their CVs or preparing to enter another line of work? In a word: No. What a recent survey makes clear is that, while managed care is driving physicians from some markets, jobs are still available in other markets traditionally underserved by physicians. This is not to suggest that the physician employment market has gone unchanged. Many physicians, particularly specialists, have taken income hits, and some specialists truly are in need of work. Primary care physicians, however, have seen their stars rise and are now in a position to work wherever they want. Physicians may no longer be able to practice within 50 miles of where they were raised or where they were trained, as has been their wont. Instead, they will have to do what other professionals have long done--go where job opportunities take them. In short, they will have to add a career strategy to their scientific mindset, and that means an aggressive job search, coupled with a strong consumer orientation.
authors.affiliation: Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, Irving, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merritt
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D007586:Job Application; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014481:United States; D014830:Vocational Guidance