Leaving (Internal) Medicine
Authors: Harold C. Sox
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Editorials3 January 2006Leaving (Internal) MedicineHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-144-1-200601030-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Medical workforce planning is inexact but consequential. One current planning model predicts that the United States will have 200 000 too few physicians by 2020 (1). If the nation responds to this forecast by increasing its production of physicians, we will have short-term consequences (we will need to build new medical schools and expand existing schools) and long-term consequences (with more doctors, we will have a larger health care enterprise with its additional recurring costs). With so much at stake and so much uncertainty about the future demand for physician services, some are counseling against rapid expansion (2). Because we rely ...References1. Cooper RA. Weighing the evidence for expanding physician supply. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:705-14. [PMID: 15520427] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Garber AM, Sox HC. The U.S. physician workforce: serious questions raised, answers needed [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:732-4. [PMID: 15520433] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Moore G, Showstack J. Primary care medicine in crisis: toward reconstruction and renewal. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:244-7. [PMID: 12558374] LinkGoogle Scholar4. Lipner RS, Bylsma WH, Arnold GK, Fortna GS, Tooker J, Cassel CK. Who is maintaining certification in internal medicine—and why? A national survey 10 years after initial certification. Ann Intern Med. 2005;144:29-36. LinkGoogle Scholar5. Davidson JM, Lambert TW, Goldacre MJ, Parkhouse J. UK senior doctors' career destinations, job satisfaction, and future intentions: questionnaire survey. BMJ. 2002;325:685-6. [PMID: 12351361] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Davidson JM, Lambert TW, Goldacre MJ. Career pathways and destinations 18 years on among doctors who qualified in the United Kingdom in 1977: postal questionnaire survey. BMJ. 1998;317:1425-8. [PMID: 9822395] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Lambert TW, Goldacre MJ. Career destinations seven years on among doctors who qualified in the United Kingdom in 1988: postal questionnaire survey. BMJ. 1998;317:1429-31. [PMID: 9822396] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Moss PJ, Lambert TW, Goldacre MJ, Lee P. Reasons for considering leaving UK medicine: questionnaire study of junior doctors' comments. BMJ. 2004;329:1263. [PMID: 15469947] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Health Policy and Economic Research Unit. BMA Cohort Study of 1995 Medical Graduates. 7th Report. London: British Medical Association; 2002. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Disclosures: Dr. Sox is employed by the American College of Physicians.Corresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoWho Is Maintaining Certification in Internal Medicine—and Why? A National Survey 10 Years after Initial Certification Rebecca S. Lipner , Wayne H. Bylsma , Gerald K. Arnold , Gregory S. Fortna , John Tooker , and Christine K. Cassel Saving (Internal) Medicine Richard L. Neubauer Saving (Internal) Medicine Ashok V. Daftary Metrics Cited ByMotivating and engaging frontline providers in measuring and improving team clinical performanceSpecialty Certification Status, Performance Ratings, and Disciplinary Actions of Internal Medicine ResidentsEffects of Guided Care on Providers' Satisfaction with Care: A Three-Year Matched-Pair Cluster-Randomized TrialHealth Care Reform and the Primary Care Workforce BottleneckMedical Unprofessionalism, De-professionalization, and Virtue EthicsAlmost Internists: Analysis of Students Who Considered Internal Medicine but Chose Other FieldsInnovation in Ambulatory Care: A Collaborative Approach to Redesigning the Health Care WorkplaceAcademic Retainer Medicine: An Innovative Business Model for Cross-Subsidizing Primary CareLongitudinal Integrated ClerkshipsImpending Challenges in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Physician WorkforceWorking Conditions in Primary Care: Physician Reactions and Care QualityMark Linzer, MD, Linda Baier Manwell, MS, Eric S. Williams, PhD, James A. Bobula, PhD, Roger L. Brown, PhD, Anita B. Varkey, MD, Bernice Man, MD, Julia E. McMurray, MD, Ann Maguire, MD, MPH, Barbara Horner-Ibler, MD, MASW, and Mark D. Schwartz, MD, for the MEMO (Minimizing Error, Maximizing Outcome) Investigators*Commentary: Gastroenterology and Hepatology: An Evolving Marriage, Not an Imminent DivorceInternal Medicine Clerkship Directors’ Perceptions About Student Interest in Internal Medicine CareersAre we under-utilizing the talents of primary care personnel? A job analytic examinationCareer Changes in Medicine: Part IIHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorSaving (Internal) MedicineRichard L. Neubauer, MDSaving (Internal) MedicineAshok V. Daftary, MDChapter 1: Character Formation and the Making of Good Physicians 3 January 2006Volume 144, Issue 1Page: 57-58KeywordsConflicts of interestFellowshipsForecastingGraduate medical educationHealth careHealth statisticsMedical servicesMotivationSub-specialty care ePublished: 3 January 2006 Issue Published: 3 January 2006 CopyrightCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...