The US is experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians. It is projected that by 2020, there would be a shortage of 45,000 primary care doctors (Novak, 2012). Current graduates prefer the subspecialties due to the compensation, working hours, and challenges in the profession. The annual income of primary care physicians ranges from $140,000 to $150,000, however, specialists earn as much as three times this amount (Novak, 2012). Primary care doctors are burdened with more work, especially administrative tasks (Chen, 2012). Medical students may feel that primary care is not as challenging as the cases they discuss inside the classroom and their exposure to family practice may even be boring (Shah, 2011), however, actual primary care providers attest to handling challenging tasks and gaining satisfaction in providing the best possible patient care. One incentive for medical students in primary care track is the one-year less schooling offered by Texas Tech.
Credentialing and regulation of health care professionals is important because it mandates continuing education (Gebbie, 2007). This ensures that health professionals regularly update their knowledge about systems and procedures. Such certification is a basis for patients in selecting their primary care provider and this document gives patients assurance of the care they receive and the physicians’ accountability.
More community involvement may encourage students to get into family health care. When individuals see the impact of their expertise on people’s lives they can become motivated to contribute more through their professional work. It is also important for schools to maintain a positive attitude towards primary health care. Such positive view towards primary care is present in Texas Tech. This medical school also encourages more students to choose such track by doing away with the final year in med school, thereby lessening the total expenses (Novak, 2012).
