Addressing shortages in the pediatric profession
Aaron E. Carroll, M.D., a pediatrician and the president of the health policy organization AcademyHealth, detailed why medical professionals may not be going in pediatrics.
In an opinion piece published by The New York Times, Dr. Carroll explained that recently, he has been unable to refer patients to pediatricians because they tell him they’re unable to take on new patients. He stressed that because of pediatrician shortages, it may take some parents months to book an appointment for their children to see a developmental pediatrician, pulmonologist or allergist.
Additionally, fewer medical graduates have expressed interest in becoming a pediatrician, according to Dr. Carroll. For instance, despite the rising number of medical graduates participating in the 2024 residency match program, the number of graduates who applied to pediatric programs declined by 6% and pediatric training programs left over 250 positions vacant.
Dr. Carroll revealed that the cause of the shortages may be the result of debt from medical school and lower reimbursement rates seen by pediatricians compared with other medical specialists. This is likely because many children are impoverished and therefore qualify for Medicaid — which typically pays less than private insurance and Medicare. Further, pediatric specialists in fields such as endocrinology, infectious diseases and rheumatology tend to train for more years but earn less than adult specialists.
Dr. Carroll concluded that raising pediatrician salaries through Medicaid-Medicare parity, increasing available loan repayment programs, reducing training requirements and facilitating collaboration between pediatricians and subspecialists could help boost interest in pediatric medicine.
Read more: The New York Times
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