A Practical Approach to Assessing Physician Supply

The nature of the anticipated physician shortage over the next 10-20 years has little to do with the number of physicians in the work force. In fact, “active” physicians per capita are expected to keep pace with the nation’s population growth.  On the surface, it would stand to reason that as long as the number of physicians per capita is kept steady, the threat of shortage in the work force will be evaded. Unfortunately, the impending physician shortage the country faces today is far more convoluted and more difficult to track than in the past.