Profession
AAMC to rethink physician supply
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 12, 2004
The Assn. of American Medical Colleges is creating a new arm to examine physician work force issues. The Center for Workforce Studies at the AAMC will be headed by Edward Salsberg, currently executive director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York.
The AAMC is establishing the center to assess the supply and distribution of physicians in the United States in order to determine the AAMC's agenda and what role it should play in working with medical schools, teaching hospitals and specialty associations on work force-related efforts. The AAMC's current stance is that there is neither a physician surplus nor a shortage.
In September 2003, the federally appointed Council on Graduate Medical Education supported research predicting a shortage of 85,000 physicians by 2020 and saying a 15% increase in medical school enrollment was needed during the next 10 years.
In December 2003, the American Medical Association declared a physician shortage in some specialties and in some geographic areas of the United States.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/01/12/prbf0112.htm.
