PHILADELPHIA, March 18, 2010 -- The number of U.S. medical students choosing internal medicine residencies inched higher from 2009 but not enough to significantly impact the shortage of primary care...

"Multiple studies have shown that the U.S. is facing a shortage of primary care physicians," said Steven Weinberger, MD, FACP, Deputy Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President, Medical Education and Publishing, for the American College of Physicians (ACP). "ACP has consistently called for health care reform to ensure that all Americans have access to a primary care physician, which is crucial for both preventive care and long-term treatment of complex and chronic diseases."
"Because it takes a minimum of three years of residency after four years of medical school to train an internist, it is critical to begin making careers in internal medicine attractive to young physicians," said Dr. Weinberger. "As America's aging population increases and more people gain access to affordable coverage, the demand for general internists and other primary care doctors will drastically outpace the primary care physician supply."