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There is currently concern about a growing shortage of physicians of all specialties in the US. The bulk of the population in the US is the baby boom generation which is now entering retirement age. There are several problems that may develop as a result of this, the number one being that there may be more physicians retiring than there are finishing residency and the second is that this larger older population will need more care than it did when younger. Of course, Pediatrics has a different dynamic that adult medical care, but the choice of specialty caused by greater demand of other specialties and the mini boom in population of children born between 1981 and 1995 is causing a shortage for Pediatric care as well. SHORTAGE= DEMAND FOR PEDIATRIC JOBS Recent studies report a shortage of pediatric surgeons in the United States. American Pediatric Surgical Association survey of members estimates current workforce and demand and to provide data for workforce planning. The shortage of pediatricians trained in specialties such as neurology, gastroenterology, and developmental and behavioral medicine threatens timely access to care for children. Pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric neurologists, particularly epileptologists, have proven challenging to source with more opportunities than physicians available in the marketplace. The good news for fellows completing their training is that the demand for their expertise remains high. DELAY RETIREMENT Between the recent stock market and real estate collapse many older physicians are remaining in practice longer than Planned In some specialties this has led to fewer high quality positions available to the oncoming new generation of physicians. According to the APSA, some surgeons plan to delay retirement, because it would leave their group or community shorthanded. However, the shortages are such that this appears not to be the case for pediatricians. INCREASED DEMAND The demand for pediatric sub-specialists is continuing to increase for the following reasons: * More Educated consumers requesting sub-specialists for treatment * Increased obesity rates among children * Fellowship programs not meeting the current mini boom in population of children Many general pediatric residents are pursuing pediatric subspecialty training. The number of subspecialty training openings has not adequately increased during this last decade. GROWING INCOMES Incomes have grown, As a result of this shortage, outpacing other medical specialties. According to the MGMA Physician Compensation and Production Surveys pediatric sub-pecialists are reaping the rewards of heightened demand with an increase in compensation. For one of the first times, pediatric surgeons actually earn more than adult surgeons. HEALTH CARE REFORM During the health care debate, pediatric groups lobbied to secure more funding for training and higher reimbursement for pediatric sub-specialties, in the hope of encouraging more doctors-in-training to enter the field. Specialization typically requires up to three years of training beyond a general pediatrics residency and can pay salaries less than half the rate of adult specialty medicine. The hospitals also reported that jobs for the top specialties are going unfilled for a year or longer; nearly half reported vacancies in pediatric-rehabilitation medicine, hematology and oncology, and cardiology. For families, that often means waiting for months to see a specialist and incurring heavy travel costs, often to another state. HIGH COST OF EDUCATION The Senate bill contains a measure that would fund a loan-forgiveness program for pediatric sub-specialists, easing the financial burden of medical-school costs. The federal Medicare program funds training programs for adult medicine. Congress five years ago authorized funding for pediatric specialty training, but the funds must be re-authorized every year. To cope with the problem, many hospitals are turning to strategies such as telemedicine—remote consultations using two-way video systems—and mobile vans that may drive hundreds of miles to set up clinics in under-served areas. Hospitals are also more often turning to adult specialists to treat children, though not all are willing to do so.
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