title: Minnesota physician workforce analysis: rural supply and demand.
abstract: Considering the physician supply in 2002, the potential number of new physicians, and the number of vacancies that year, rural Minnesota has shortages in the following specialties: family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, psychiatry, and urology. Metropolitan areas have fewer shortages; however, there is a gap between supply and demand in obstetrics/gynecology, gastroenterology, general surgery, otolaryngology, and urology. Future areas of concern for all parts of the state include family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, cardiology, general surgery, psychiatry, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, and urology. In Minnesota, with several specialties facing a substantial number of retirements in the next 10 years, the number of new physicians completing graduate medical education remaining steady or declining, and the population growing--especially among people ages 65 to 84, the current shortages may increase, and additional specialties may experience a gap if the supply is not increased.
authors.affiliation: Rural Health Resource Center, Minnesota Center for Rural Health, Duluth, USA.
authors.forename: Sally T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trauba
authors.forename: Raymond G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008511:Medicine / Q000639:trends; D008910:Minnesota; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D013038:Specialization