The Future Of (Plastic) Surgery
/I recently came across a series of excellent articles on the future of surgery by Dr. Bard Parker, a community general surgeon in Georgia, detailing the growing shortage of surgeons and the public's desire to be treated by specialists.Dr. Parker has an excellent site and I would highly recommend kicking around it for a few minutes.
"The crucial issue for the patient may well be: Will there be a doctor to care for me?
It is now strongly suggested that by the year 2020, there will be a large shortage in the physician workforce, none more obvious than in the discipline of surgery. If one accepts the postulations based on gross domestic product increases, then by the year 2020, there will be an approximately 200,000 physician shortage in the United States. Although some of this shortfall can be made up by nonphysician clinicians, a serious shortfall in physicians, particularly specialist physicians, is projected.
A recent survey of 70 medical schools in 35 states reported shortages in surgeons that approximate 20%. A survey by the Massachusetts Medical Society suggests a physician shortage in general surgery of 32%, with orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and urology having even greater shortages."
It's a very interesting take from surgeon.
"The crucial issue for the patient may well be: Will there be a doctor to care for me?
It is now strongly suggested that by the year 2020, there will be a large shortage in the physician workforce, none more obvious than in the discipline of surgery. If one accepts the postulations based on gross domestic product increases, then by the year 2020, there will be an approximately 200,000 physician shortage in the United States. Although some of this shortfall can be made up by nonphysician clinicians, a serious shortfall in physicians, particularly specialist physicians, is projected.
A recent survey of 70 medical schools in 35 states reported shortages in surgeons that approximate 20%. A survey by the Massachusetts Medical Society suggests a physician shortage in general surgery of 32%, with orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and urology having even greater shortages."
It's a very interesting take from surgeon.
