Behind the physician licensure numbers: false impressions, retirement crisis, and migration.
This communication examines the supply of primary-care physicians at the state level. It shows that the number of actively practicing physicians is considerably less than the number of licensed physicians; the age distribution of primary-care physicians has a bulge in the ages younger than 50, and this bulge may lead in the near future to an unexpected increase in physician attrition due to retirement; and, at the state level, migration may be playing the dominant role in determining the total supply of primary-care physicians.
Olchanski
V
V
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. volchans@vcu.edu
Marsland
D W
DW
Rossiter
L F
LF
Johnson
R E
RE
D017677:Age Distribution; D006280:Health Workforce; D008007:Licensure, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D019035:Rural Health Services; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014481:United States; D014768:Virginia