Primary care is often the first type of encounter one had with the clinical care system. Whole 50 years ago half of all physicians were in primary care, almost three quarters are now specialists. The future implications are even more dismal. According to one study published last year in The Journal of American Medicam Association, as few as 2 percent of medical students are choosing to step away from “high prestige” and competitive specialties in orders to pursue general internal medicine.
Experts in medical education have pointed to three reasons for this lack of enthusiasm: debt, income, and lifestyle. But even with current legislative efforts to address educational debt, payment discrepancies and lifestyle differences , many medical educators worry that the results will not be enough.
Why do you think this is? Is it due to the issues deeper than listed? If so, what are they and how can they be addressed?