Available for Interviews: John Rodriguez, MD
Dr. John Rodriguez is a Chief Medical Officer of Healthcare2U and is passionate about the care provided to their patients. He manages all the care providers in Healthcare2U’s network of clinics and oversees care protocols and training.
What Dr. Rodriguez can say in an interview about
A Future Doctor Shortage:
A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects that in 2034, the U.S. will have shortages of between 12,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians and between 21,000 and 77,100 non-primary care physicians. Having said that, we are currently dealing with a doctor shortage, but this study confirms it will progressively worsen over the next decade. Why are these numbers steadily declining, and how exactly will they affect us?
Why is there a doctor shortage?
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- Cost and length of medical school- The average cost of medical school is $60,497 a year, and it takes around eight to ten years to complete. This has been an issue for a long time but seems like it’s hitting a breaking point. With inflation rising seven percent in 2022 and people rethinking their priorities and how they spend their time given the difficulty of the past few years, it’s easy to see why these two factors play such a big part in the shortage of doctors.
- Burnout- 69 percent of physicians in the U.S. report feeling burned out at least once in 2021. When a physician doesn’t have enough hours in the day to complete their workload, it’s easy to see how this exhaustion can take a toll on them. Another aspect of burnout is having to deal with documentation. Many doctors report feeling like documentation is too heavy and can often compromise the amount of quality time spent with their patients. Some physicians say they must perform this reporting after hours and on weekends to catch up.
- Lack of control in their position- While many physicians seek safety within large, private hospital-based and community health-based groups, they end up sacrificing autonomy and independence. The physician’s ideal practice model may not align with the employer’s bottom line.
How will it affect us?
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- Longer wait times to access care.
- Fewer specialists, which means traveling farther to get care for specific illnesses.
The shortage of doctors doesn’t have to do with fewer people wanting to pursue this profession, as the number of medical school applications has not declined. Still, the next ten years will prove interesting as the U.S. navigates this shortage amid an already-strained healthcare system.
Visit www.healthc2u.com for more information. Healthcare2U is the nation’s fastest-growing hybrid Direct Primary Care organization.
Interview: John Rodriguez, MD
Dr. John Rodriguez is a Chief Medical Officer of Healthcare2U and is passionate about the care provided to their patients. He manages all the care providers in Healthcare2U’s network of clinics and oversees care protocols and training.
Dr. Rogriguez co-founded Healthcare2U to ensure that organizations of all sizes and structures have unlimited, nationwide access to affordable and consistent primary and urgent care. He has over 20 years of experience working in private practice as an attending physician with one of the most prestigious healthcare systems in the country, Baylor Health Care Systems. Dr. Rodriguez and his company have been featured on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends and in publications like BenefitsPro, America’s Benefit Specialist, and Broker World.
Contact:
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Sources
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- Doctor shortages are here—and they’ll get worse if we don’t act fast | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)
- Average Cost of Medical School [2023]: Yearly + Total Costs (educationdata.org)
- Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- The spiraling problem of doctor shortages and burnout (yahoo.com)