Newswise — Euless, Texas (April 29, 2015) – The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has released an advance copy of its latest census of actively licensed physicians in the United States. To be published later this year in the Journal of Medical Regulation, the “Census of Actively Licensed Physicians in the United States” reviews data received in 2014 by the FSMB from the nation’s state medical and osteopathic boards about the current supply of actively licensed physicians in the United States and the District of Columbia.
Key findings of the 2014 Census include:
• The total population of licensed physicians (916,264) has increased by 4% since 2012.• The nation, on average, added 12,168 more licensed physicians annually than it lost between 2012 and 2014.• The average physician is now older and still predominantly male, but increasingly female at entry level.• The number of actively licensed physicians who graduated from international medical schools, particularly those in the Caribbean region, is growing at a rapid rate.
“Marked changes have occurred in health care delivery in the United States with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act,” said Humayun Chaudhry, DO, MACP, President and CEO and the FSMB. “With millions of newly insured Americans, the need for accurate data about the current and future physician workforce remains paramount.”
The 2014 Census, the FSMB’s third such census of actively licensed physicians, includes state-specific information and data-sets on an array of physician licensure information. In aggregate, the information offers a current snapshot of the health care workforce, including the number, gender, age, American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certification and location by state of all physicians with an active license to practice medicine.
Other findings of the 2014 Census include:
• Both the aging population of actively licensed physicians and the shift in gender composition could have a considerable impact on health workforce planning for the future.
• There continues to be great interest in U.S. citizens who receive their medical education abroad. The Census found that the number of actively licensed physicians who graduated from international medical schools, particularly those in the Caribbean region, is growing at a rapid rate.
• The Census provides data on the distribution of physicians by state and the substantial variation that exists in the ratio of physicians to patients across states.
An advance copy of the “Census of Actively Licensed Physicians in the United States, 2014” is available at www.fsmb.org/Media/Default/PDF/Census/FSMB_2014_Census_Article.pdf
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About the FSMBAbout the Federation of State Medical Boards: The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing all state medical and osteopathic boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. FSMB leads by promoting excellence in medical practice, licensure and regulation as the national resource and voice on behalf of state medical boards in their protection of the public. To learn more about FSMB, please visit www.fsmb.org. You can also follow FSMB on Twitter (@theFSMB and @FSMBPolicy).
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