New Jersey Physician Shortage May Be Worsening

by: Hopeful

Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 11:42:37 AM EST

1. "Overall, the job market for new physicians in New Jersey still appears to be good." Only 3% don't have job offers yet and 57% say they will be paid $160,000 or more in their first year. (So, that's why so many parents pushed their kids to be doctors.)

2. The bad news, though, is that fewer are staying in New Jersey, which worsens our local doctor shortage. (Admittedly I live in an out-of-the-way place, but I absolutely believe there is a huge doctor shortage.) Here's what the NJCTH says:

The new data would seem to further erode New Jersey's physician pool and underscores a projected shortfall of 2,800 physician shortage predicted by a 2-year study released earlier this year by the Council. The Council is now projecting a shortfall of 3,250 physicians.

"This year's exit survey is alarming," said J. Richard Goldstein, MD, President and CEO of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals. "Previous exit surveys have consistently shown that New Jersey's resident retention rate is lower than many states, hovering around 50% for graduating residents that intend to go into private practice. When the 2008 rate slipped to 47%, we were concerned, but last year we reached an alarming point where only 32%, less than one in every three residents, intend to establish a practice in New Jersey. Hopefully this will serve as clarion call for collaborative action by public policy makers and the leadership of our medical schools and teaching hospitals."

Of course I cannot tell you why this is happening, but the council points to better recruitment efforts by other states: "Richer loan repayment programs, better Medicaid rates, caps on pain and suffering, lower tax burdens, prompter pay laws for HMOs, less red tape." It seems to me that the new Cooper Medical School at Rowan University should help too.