• Every 100,000 Americans are being treated by less than 91 primary care physicians. The numbers decreased from 91 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents to 90.4 in just 5 years.
• The number of Americans who can afford medical care is increasing due to the Affordable Care Act, making the deficiency even more pronounced.
• Primary care physicians are the spearheaders of good physical well-being, and these are specifically the fields with the biggest decline.
Cause for Alarm?
Anything below a 100 to 100,000 (or 1 to 1,000) ratio is cause for concern, according to Dr. Atul Grover, the chief public policy officer at AAMC. If this backsliding continues, it could very well result in people not having access to the kind of primary medical care they need. When this happens, general health deteriorates, and people end up paying significantly more for expensive hospital stays, medications, and extensive care for more serious issues.
Seeking Solutions
Private insurance providers such as United Health Group and Anthem, as well as Medicare, endeavor to deliver medical care that stresses primary care, wellness, and accessibility to the masses. According to the numbers, though, this movement isn’t having success.
• The majority of U.S. states have less than 100 primary care physicians attending to 100,000 patients.
• Areas in the southwest are worse off than northeastern or upper midwestern states like Michigan and Minnesota.
• Southern states like Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas are experiencing this shortage more than other states.
• What’s more, obesity, hypertension, and other chronic conditions that frequently lead to heart disease are found more often in the above-mentioned southern states.
• 11 of the 50 states have fewer than 78 primary care physicians per 100,000 patients, with Mississippi suffering as the most ill-equipped sector, with 64.5 physicians per 100,000 Americans.
• Massachusetts took top scores for best medical care per capita, leading the pack with 133.9 physicians to every 100,000 residents.
Even with a shortage of doctors, you aren’t going to get hired without the right education under your belt. Let Accepted’s top rated med school application services get you the acceptance letter you need to start your medical career out right.
• Med School Admissions 101 Page
• A Med School With A Mission: Sophie Davis School Of Biomedical Education
• How Many Residency Programs Do Med Students Apply To? (The Answer Is Higher Than You’d Think!)
This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.
Applying to medical school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants like you get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, working on your AMCAS application, working on secondary essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.
Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!
