Here are seven insights:
1. The United States will be short between 28,000 specialists and 63,000 specialists by 2025.
2. Already, more patients are seeking specialty services, specifically in cardiology, urology, dermatology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology and neurosurgery.
3. In rural areas, patients do not have access to any type of specialty care.
4. About 40 percent of the physician workforce is 55 years or older, and specialty training is extensive.
5. Dr. Batjer believes the nation needs to ramp up the number of residency slots.
6. He points to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 limiting graduate medical education funding as a reason for the lack of residency slots.
7. The Alliance of Specialty Medicine is asking Congress to remove the GME funding limitations.
More articles on practice management:
6 thoughts on why physicians should talk to patients about costs
University of Chicago Medicine to open new orthopedic center: 3 things to know
The reality of data analytics — Rush University Medical Center’s Dr. Richard Fessler’s thoughts
