Primary care physician shortage worsening

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Podcasts Take Two

Dec 27, 2012

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Primary care physician shortage worsening

The way things are going, finding a family doctor is going to be increasingly challenging. Fewer and fewer medical students are signing up to become primary care physicians.According to the American Medical Association only 2 percent said they were interested in practicing primary care.

A doctor checks a patient's blood pressure on September 5, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Doctors in the country are demanding higher payments from health insurance companies (Krankenkassen). Over 20 doctors' associations are expected to hold a vote this week over possible strikes and temporary closings of their practices if assurances that a requested additional annual increase of 3.5 billion euros (4,390,475,550 USD) in payments are not provided. The Kassenaerztlichen Bundesvereinigung (KBV), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, unexpectedly broke off talks with the health insurance companies on Monday.

The way things are going, finding a family doctor is going to be increasingly challenging. Fewer and fewer medical students are signing up to become primary care physicians.According to the American Medical Association only 2 percent said they were interested in practicing primary care.

The way things are going, finding a family doctor is going to be increasingly challenging. Fewer and fewer medical students are signing up to become primary care physicians.

According to the American Medical Association only 2 percent said they were interested in practicing primary care.

Dr. Colin P. West, associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has been looking into why medical students are passing over the family doctors office.