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Physicians join list of in-demand health care professionals

By Jason Lee, Tribune Media Services, Source: Tribune Media Services

Physicians serve a critical role in our society and have an effect on all of our lives.

Whether diagnosing illnesses, prescribing treatment for injury or disease or counseling patients on diet, hygiene or preventative health care, their impact cannot be overstated.

In addition, few health care fields offer a wider range of opportunities. Most doctors’ professional lives are filled with caring for people of all ages and continuously learning more about than the human body. Every day in communities throughout country, physicians work in neighborhood clinics, hospitals, private offices, even homeless shelters and schools to care for people in need.

However, America is facing a shortage of these vital professionals, making physicians one of the most in-demand career paths. By 2020, there will be a projected shortage of 55,000 to 191,000 physicians, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As the nation's massive Baby Boomer population ages, the frequency of their visits to doctors also has increased.

Also factoring into the shortage is that people of every age group are now more prone to seek medical care due to technological and treatment advances that have put greater emphasis on preventative care. Therefore, the complexity of office visits is also on the rise, with the number of patients who take at least six medications rocketing from 20 million in 1995 to 112 million in 2005.

© 2009, Tribune Media Services