Pennsylvania's plan to combat a physician shortage

The Pennsylvania Joint State Commission recently issued a report with recommendations of how the state can tackle a projected physician shortage. The state currently has about 38,000 active physicians but about half of them are age 50 or older and about a quarter are 60 or older.

 

To replace the state’s aging physicians, the commission recommended establishing a pipeline program to prepare students for careers in medicine, increasing the state’s number of residency positions, and recruiting international medical graduates.