News and briefs: Massachusetts needs more specialists
October 11, 2012
An annual report from the Massachusetts Medical Society found that the state has a critical or severe need for seven types of medical specialists. According to The Boston Globe, that is one fewer than in 2011. The specialties are:
- Internal medicine (critical)
- Psychiatry (critical)
- Urology (critical)
- Neurosurgery (critical)
- Family medicine (severe)
- Dermatology (severe)
- General surgery (severe)
The report also found that community hospitals had a harder time recruiting physicians than the state’s teaching hospitals. Ninety four percent of community hospitals cited significant difficulties filling vacant positions, compared to only 7% of teaching hospitals.