A sixth of general internal medicine physicians leave their practices by mid-career, a rate four times that of subspecialists in internal medicine, a new survey shows. The survey, released May 7, was conducted by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). "The research results underscore the importance of increasing the attractiveness of careers in general internal medicine and of retaining those who enter the field," said Wayne Bylsma, vice president and chief of staff for the ACP, and one of the study's lead authors.
The results seem to highlight longstanding conventional wisdom that generalists aren't happy with the "widening income gap between primary care physicians and many specialists," but the actual data didn't conclusively prove this link, the ACP writes in a press release on the study.
"A more likely explanation is that the ‘general' nature of general internal medicine may give internists more options for careers outside of internal medicine and in to some non-medical fields," said co-author Rebecca Lipner, vice president of psychometrics and research analysis for ABIM.
There's still hope for meeting the primary care shortage: "A sizeable minority of internists - 40 percent - who have left medicine are open to returning," said the ACP's Bylsma. "Changes in the practice environment might entice them back to primary care."
Provisions in the health care reform law, such as increased federal funding for primary care training and education programs, higher Medicare payments to primary care docs and expanded pilots and testing of patient-centered medical homes will all serve to swell the ranks of primary care physicians, the ACP states in its press release.