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Could US see shortage of primary care physicians?

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    New report raises concerns

  • Duration 3:45
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We'll life is right 45 minutes past the hour now -- will report raising concerns -- could soon be a major shortage.

Of primary care doctors the journal of the American Medical Association.

Indicates only 22% of third year internal medicine residents are planning to become internal medicine.

Doctors what does this mean to you Marc Siegel joins us now.

With the latest and analysis on this doctor nice to see.

The zebra -- doesn't mean what first -- on that but explain to our viewers out there exactly what an internal medicine doctors.

We always talk about primary care primary care is a pediatrician.

An obstetrician gynecologists for women self.

-- family practitioner or a general internist which is what I am someone who doesn't internal medicine specialty which is the internal organs of the body build and then says.

I'm not gonna become a cardiologist I'm not gonna become a kidney specialist.

I'm not gonna come along specialist I'm going to stay is -- general doctor.

Omelet guy you see right off to shoot you -- you're sick you know you have -- a coffee having your high blood pressure high cholesterol I'm the guy you say.

People need doctors like that.

Without doctors like that what are we gonna do and then there was another study two years ago the American College of Physicians determine that 17% of general internist.

Who start out that way leave.

They say I don't want to do that I can't afford to do that 60% of what I do is involved in no free and paperwork.

He's submitting claims figuring out you know how to get the office running all of the business of medicine and I think although.

All great points but instead of pursuing primary care they're becoming specialists.

And there's got to be -- reason for that.

What why are they going in that direction well a couple of reasons and and the study said that 22% -- go in the general medicine the others.

-- becoming things I said -- -- cardiologists.

Specialists why.

It pays better you have one skill to master and you master it and that's your pride and that's what you do.

If you have many skills to master.

Are you not even sure you're gonna get paid for it.

And -- -- you're you're the person that's taking care the patient the primary responsibility.

That gets harder and harder to do with a more the test your water turned out the more you face liability the more you're not getting paid let's put if.

And -- on this internal -- salary about 2191000.

Dollars a year dermatologists.

386000.

Cardiologists 422000.

So now you see the attraction in the draw the money.

In a specialist as much as much greater.

But the reality.

Is that there -- a prediction that we could be 50000.

Primary care physician short.

Of the needs of American patience because all the new people who will be covered through obamacare -- how does this factor into that.

Not to mention people they're getting older not to mention the population growth we need more primary care doctors what we're gonna get a word that we're getting the opposite what we're gonna get instead.

Are more nurse practitioners more physicians assistants their burgeoning we have a 180000 nurse practitioners and more hospital teams.

That are set up to take care of patients that may not be all bad.

But you're gonna see -- the doctor he used to and more another -- -- -- I know that's explain this and so I cure my doctor I don't see you.

You might not see me I see somebody who works for you -- -- -- nurse practitioner -- -- is that a good thing well it depends on the of obviously on the particular person but it's not it there's a loss in terms of communication if did doctor bill that you are used to seeing for ten years.

There may be a loss in terms of all of the information being convey important what is the port might go -- the playing field is changing.

I'm -- and I -- Mark Siegel and staying where I am but doctors like me are moving to hospitals they're joining hospital groups -- going on salary either giving up.

Outpatient practice this practice your point is well taken about a changing world -- happening right now let's we've seen under our new medicine is changing.

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