The Doctor Will See You … Eventually: Confronting Dire Diagnosis of America’s Physician Shortages

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Daily Signal

The most recent numbers from the Association of American Medical Colleges raise alarming concerns about the future of health care in the United States.

By 2036, the nation is anticipated to face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians even as the U.S. population is projected to grow by 8.4%—with a staggering 54.7% increase in individuals age 75 and older.

Ill-equipped to meet the growing demand from an aging population and lack of physicians, our health care system will suffer at the expense of patients. Millions are expected to face longer wait times and reduced access to primary care physicians and specialists.

“Match Day,” which took place March 15, served as our yearly reminder of this looming crisis. On this day, medical school seniors nationwide gathered with friends and loved ones to discover the contents of envelopes that would seal their immediate fates: the locations where they would spend the next three to seven years in residency training, a final step in the journey toward becoming an attending physician.

 

For most, the contents of these envelopes were met with exuberant cheers and tears of joy from the students and their loved ones. Others, though, faced the heartbreaking reality of not “matching into” a program, potentially putting their dreams of medical training on hold for at least another year.

Amid this whirlwind, data from the National Resident Matching Program paints a dire picture. Despite this past Match Day being the largest in history, with a record number of certified applicants (44,853) and positions filled (38,941), the program estimated that roughly 2,500 positions are expected to remain unfilled.