Demand for family physicians climbs

Recruitment for family physicians rose by 55 percent from May 2005 to April 2006 according to a May 24 Associated Press story. The increase, recorded by physician recruiters Merritt, Hawkins and Associates, was evident in all primary care fields, marking the first time primary care specialties topped the firm’s request list since the 1990s.

The story suggests that with fewer physicians choosing primary care specialties and the growing health care needs of the baby boomers, demand for family physicians and general internists is likely to continue to increase. The story reports that salaries for primary care physicians continue to trail other specialties, with the average family physician earning $145,000 a year and the average radiologist earning $351,000. The AP quotes an executive at Merritt Hawkins who believes that this could be about to change and that as demand for family physicians goes up, so will their salaries.

Check out the AP story on AP.org.