News: New census data reveals a 23% increase in physician workforce from 2010

A 2022 census published by the Journal of Medical Regulation with data drawn from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Physician Data Center found that the physician workforce is 23% larger now than it was in 2010, according to HealthLeaders. The census included physicians with unrestricted licenses, practicing in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

According to the census, there are now 1,044,734 physicians in the United States, for a physician-to-population ratio of 313 per 100,000—a marked increase from 277 in 2010. In addition, state medical boards have issued 129,427 new medical licenses in 2022, a 27% increase from even 2020.

Though the census noted a noticeable gender differential, the report observed that the number of females in the physician workforce had increased from 30% in 2010, to 37% in 2022. In terms of age, the mean age of licensed physicians is 51.9 years, a small increase from 50.7 in 2010.

The report noted that increased life expectancy, an aging population, and physician burnout/early retirement, has created a supply deficit for physicians within the U.S.:

The AAMC’s most recent report projects a shortage of primary care physicians between 17,800 and 48,000 by 2034 as well as a shortage across the nonprimary care specialties between 21,000 and 77,100 physicians, and a significant shortage in surgical specialties between 15,800 and 30,200 physicians by 2034.

Despite the apparent shortcomings in the physician workforce data, the report remained “cautiously optimistic,” stressing that advances in medical technology, increased medical school enrollment, expedited licensure, expanding support for healthcare workers, and greater healthcare access to telehealth services were reasons for future hope.

Editor’s note: To read the HealthLeaders article, click here. To read the FSMB article, click here.