Where Did All the Doctors Go?
And It’s Not Just Doctors
If it sometimes feels like there aren’t enough doctors to go around, it’s because there really aren’t enough doctors to go around.
And it’s going to get worse instead of better. If you live in a rural area, the shortage is even more noticeable. Are you pregnant? Good luck finding a doctor to deliver your baby within easy driving distance. And that’s getting worse, not better.
The brutal facts are that we have no easy plan for renewing our forces with new doctors as the old ones retire.
And don’t forget that even if we started tomorrow to actively pursue new medical students, it takes years to complete the training needed to practice medicine. You can’t just grab a kid off the street and give them a stethoscope. Unfortunately, there are fewer young people interested in pursuing a path in medicine.
But here’s the deal, folks.
This article isn’t actually about the shortage of doctors in America. Yes, that problem is real, but it goes much deeper than that. We are suffering a shortage of employees in almost any field that requires an education or special training.
When I say “almost any field that requires special training,” I mean it.
I’ve had this nagging feeling that life as we know it is shifting toward a scenario where services that we’ve grown to depend upon are drastically diminished. I kept stumbling across articles online that expressed concerns about shortages of workers in various fields. I watched my sister in rural Maine struggle to get medical appointments in a timely fashion.
So, I finally sat down and ran my own amateur research project.
It wasn’t too hard. I just made a list of different jobs and then typed the following question into Google: “Is there a shortage of — -?” The job that filled the blank varied, but every job that I could think of produced the same answer: YES, there is a growing shortage of — -! Every single one.
Let’s take a look at some of the jobs on my list, shall we?
We already addressed the shortage of doctors. The short answer is we’re not training as many as we need. We are experiencing a growing shortage of doctors in all specialties. My cardiologist told me recently that they need to hire eight more cardiologists to meet the needs of the city and surrounding areas. I live in a city of about 275,000 people, not including the surrounding small towns.
What about nurses?
Yes, there is a shortage of nurses. The top cause of today’s nursing shortage is an aging population — more patients need care. In fact, there is a growing shortage of nursing homes as well, requiring skilled nurses to provide round-the-clock care.
What about dentists?
There’s a serious lack of dentists, especially in rural areas. This means longer wait times for appointments and less preventive care. Of course, the health of Americans suffers as well when dental care becomes a luxury.
What about teachers?
Yes, the United States is experiencing a teacher shortage. Get this: in 2023, there were over 55,000 teacher vacancies in the United States. A whopping 44% of public schools across the nation reported vacancies.
What about firefighters?
Oh boy, are we ever seeing this shortage play out in real-time. The devastating fires in Los Angeles have shed light on the extreme shortage of firefighters. These shortages stretch across the country, however. Take the state of Michigan, for example. I own land in Michigan. The state union reports a shortage where one firefighter could be responsible for as many as 2,000 people. When it comes to the safety of communities, a shortage of well-trained and committed firefighters is a scary problem. Yet, our nation is facing a critical shortage of firefighters — the greatest shortage of our modern times. The U.S. population has increased, emergency calls have tripled, but the number of volunteer firefighters is decreasing.
What about police officers?
Well, here we go again. Law enforcement departments across the country are struggling with a police officer shortage. Even though the hiring of new police officers actually went up in 2023, many departments across the country are still struggling with recruiting efforts and the retention of officers.
How about psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health providers?
Once again, there is a dire shortage of professionals in this much-needed area. My psychologist told me that the U.S. is facing a mental health crisis. He could work 24 hours a day and still not be able to provide for all the people in our community who need help and support.
What about pharmacists? Yes, yes, and yes.
There’s a pattern starting to emerge here, folks. At a time when the price of attending a university is too costly for many, if not most, we are preparing a future for ourselves of scarcity. All those services that we have grown to expect in an advanced country are noticeably diminished. Wait times are increasing. Qualified people are in high demand but are overworked and stressed out. The quality of life that Americans expect is becoming less and less likely. We’re not completely aware of what’s happening yet, so the likelihood of taking proactive steps is slim to none. Americans tend to procrastinate until the wolf is at the door. Suddenly, it becomes a grim reality, and we resort to a witch hunt driven by anger.
Eventually, things could even out.
I don’t know. I mean, as the boomers decrease in number, so will some of the demands. Or maybe AI will take up the slack as predicted. Even so, we’re facing immediate shortages as we wait for the next phase, whatever that may be.
Unfortunately, our culture places little value on education.
In fact, the complete opposite is true. A vast number of Americans have a growing disdain for the educated. Respecting a qualified and skilled practitioner of any kind has gone by the wayside.
So, we shall see. Until then, pick a field to go into — any field. If you’ve got the ability to persevere with the degree of dedication required to pass the strenuous requirements, our country needs you. You may not garner the respect professionals once did, but we need you, whether we realize it or not.
Thank you for your service in advance.
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
