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How many doctors are shortages in the US?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 11, 2026

The U.S. faces a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians within 12 years, according to The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2019 to 2034 (PDF), a report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

How many physicians have a shortage?

According to “The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2018 to 2033,” the most recent update from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the US is expected to face a shortage of primary care physicians ranging from 21,400 to 55,200 by 2033.

What doctors are there a shortage of?

In 2019, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration estimated that an additional 13,758 primary care physicians and 6,100 psychiatrists would have been needed to remove Health Professional Shortage Area designations for areas with primary care and mental health shortages.

What is causing the doctor shortage?

Michael Dill, the association's director of workforce studies, cited several factors that contribute to the shortage, including a wave of retirements of older physicians and increased demand for physician care because of an aging population and COVID-19.

Why are there so few doctors in America?

There are two main generational factors that have led to America's doctor shortage: Mass exodus of physicians: Approximately 55 percent of all registered nurses are 50 years old or older, and 52 percent of the active physician workforce is 55 or older and en route to retirement.

33 related questions found

Which health professions have the most shortage?

The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a national shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033, including shortages of primary care physicians and specialists, such as pathologists, neurologists, radiologists and psychiatrists.

Are doctors in demand in USA?

The United States will see a shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians by 2033 as demand for doctors grows faster than supply, according to a 2020 report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The report projects a shortage of up to 55,200 primary care doctors and 86,700 specialty care physicians by 2033.

Is there a shortage of doctors in the world?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there is a global shortage of 4.3 million physicians, nurses, and other health professionals.

How can we solve the shortage of doctors?

In this Page

  1. Increase Interest in the Field.
  2. Establish Centers of Excellence.
  3. Integrate Environmental Medicine with Occupational Medicine Training and Research Programs.
  4. Increase Funding for Faculty Development.
  5. Support Residency and Fellowship Training.

What state has the highest demand for doctors?

Here are the five states with the greatest demand for physicians.

  • Alabama. The Yellowhammer state known for southern hospitality and college football tops the list for being the least competitive state for physicians. ...
  • Oklahoma. ...
  • Indiana. ...
  • Iowa. ...
  • Missouri. ...
  • District of Columbia. ...
  • Massachusetts. ...
  • Connecticut.

What is the ratio of doctors to patients in the US?

From 2010 to 2016, the actively licensed U.S. physician-to-population ratio increased from 277 physicians per 100,000-population to 295 physicians per 100,000-population.

Is there a shortage of doctors in California?

California faces an overall shortage of physicians, but not all areas are the same. Use this searchable, interactive map to find out how many primary care doctors, psychiatrists, and ob/gyns are in your area.

Are doctors in demand?

There are very few employment opportunities for qualified doctors in public sector; at the same time the average salary of MBBS doctors in urban private hospitals is very low. Paradoxically, in a country of 1.3 billion populations there is no actual demand for medical professionals.

Why is there a shortage of doctors in Canada?

Canada is in the midst of a physician shortage. Because of insufficient training in Canada, Canada's physician shortage will grow more acute in the coming years without an influx of foreign trained physicians.

Does the world need more doctors?

The AAMC has projected that the existing shortage will get worse over the coming decades. The latest data from our annual report, The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2018-2033, projects a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by the year 2033.

How many doctors are in the World 2020?

Table 1 shows that there are 9.2 million doctors and 18.1 million nurses worldwide. The United States, with 4% of the world's population, has 8% of the doctors and 17% of the nurses.

Who is the highest paid doctor?

RELATED: The list of the top 10 highest physician salaries by specialty for 2019

  • Neurosurgery — $746,544.
  • Thoracic surgery — $668,350.
  • Orthopedic surgery — $605,330.
  • Plastic surgery — $539,208.
  • Oral and maxillofacial — $538,590.
  • Vascular surgery — $534,508.
  • Cardiology — $527,231.
  • Radiation oncology — $516,016.

What is the #1 hospital in US?

U.S. News & World Report has again recognized Mayo Clinic as the No. 1 hospital overall and top ranked in fourteen specialties. Complex care often requires medical experts from more than one specialty.

What type of doctors are most in demand?

Family medicine and internal medicine are among the most in-demand physician specialties, as confirmed by a 2019 Physician Employment report by Doximity. Rounding out the top five most in-demand physician specialties, according to the report, are emergency medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology.

What percentage of hospital staff are nurses?

Occupations by Share

Registered nurses represent the largest share of positions held in Hospitals at 27.6%, followed by Nursing, psychiatric, & home health aides with 6.27% and Physicians & surgeons with 5.92%.

Why is there a global shortage of doctors and nurses?

The shortage is caused by an increased demand for nurses, while fewer people are choosing nursing as a profession and the current nurses worldwide are aging. The shortage applies to nurses in practice as well as the nurse faculty who teach students.

How many healthcare professionals are there in the US?

There were 22 million workers in the health care industry, one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the United States that accounts for 14% of all U.S. workers, according to the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey (ACS).

Is becoming a doctor in USA difficult?

Becoming a doctor is definitely not for everyone—getting into medical school is really tough, and you still have a lot of training to complete even after you graduate. But if you decide you want to enter the medical profession, you now have the info you need to start off on the right foot!