The Challenge of Primary Care
The faces a projected shortage of 20,200 to 40,400 primary care doctors by 2036, exacerbated by medical students' dwindling interest in primary care specialties.
Factors influencing this trend include the allure of higher-paying subspecialties and the lack of exposure to primary care in academic medical centers.
Solutions and Innovations
Tuition waivers at certain medical schools aim to attract students to primary care out of passion rather than financial necessity, with mixed results.
Schools like , which focuses on training primary care doctors, show promise in steering graduates towards primary care, despite broader national trends.