RT Journal
A1 Freed GL, Stockman JA
T1 OVersimplifying primary care supply and shortages
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2009
FD May 13
VO 301
IS 18
SP 1920
OP 1922
DO 10.1001/jama.2009.619
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.619
AB 
Recent reports have warned of a crisis related to a shortage of primary care physicians.1 However, much of the current concern seems to have stemmed from articles in the medical literature specifically reporting that fewer internal medicine residents are choosing to pursue primary care and that fewer medical students are choosing family medicine residencies. Hauer et al2 found, among a national sample of fourth-year medical students, that only 22% planned careers in internal medicine and just 2% intended to practice general internal medicine. Ebell3 hypothesized that fewer medical students are choosing primary care specialties as a result of lower salaries relative to other specialties. It is important to note that the results of his trend-line analysis showed this was true only for family physicians.