Profession
Mass. Medical Society says state faces physician shortage
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 4, 2005
The Massachusetts Medical Society says the state is short on physicians. Using four years of survey data from 2002 through 2005, the MMS cited anesthesiology, neurosurgery and radiology as fields facing the most critical shortages, with half of doctors surveyed in these fields consistently indicating that they've experienced extreme difficulties recruiting and retaining physicians over the past four years.
Cardiology, gastroenterology and orthopedics were categorized as having severe shortages, while general surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, vascular surgery, emergency medicine and ob-gyn labor markets were considered under stress.
In the 2005 survey, the wait time for existing patients for all specialties averaged 15.3 days, and new patients across all specialties waited an average of 26.2 days. Internal medicine had the longest average wait time of 47 days for new patients.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/07/04/prbf0704.htm.