US faces shortfall of 90,000 doctors by 2025

Washington

THE United States faces a shortage of as many as 90,000 physicians by 2025, including a critical need for specialists to treat an ageing population that will increasingly live with chronic diseases, the association that represents medical schools and teaching hospitals reported on Tuesday.

The nation's shortage of primary care physicians has received considerable attention in recent years, but the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report predicts that the greatest shortfall, on a percentage basis, will be in the demand for surgeons - especially those who treat diseases more common to older people, such as cancer.