Rural America’s health care crisis: Unmasking the physician shortage epidemic
Data published in 2021 by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could experience a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2033. Rural America is struggling, as the majority of graduate training facilities are disproportionately located in metropolitan areas. This geographic imbalance directs doctors and residents away from already underserved and marginalized populations, leading to poorer health care access and increased morbidity and mortality rates. …