Primary care physicians becoming a thing of the past?

This is what our system is based upon and what we have known for years, but their numbers are shrinking, not enough pay for those entering medical school. It is important to see a family practice physician and not rely on a cardiologist as an example to treat you as a family practice physician would, as they are focused in their specialties and could miss something, not because they are a bad doctor, they are focused and educated in a specialty. But primary care physicians -- those trained in family medicine and general internal medicine -- are an endangered species. If the trend continues, the family doctor will become a fond memory, a nostalgic reminder that the medical system once had a more human face and sense of community.

The family practice office is also in jeopardy today as well. With expenses on the rise and the need to see 20-30 patients a day, it’s getting more difficult as time moves on. So what is the answer? Will there come a day when physicians trained in other countries assume many of these rolls? Will be all be seeing a family practice doctor in a large HMO medical office where the physicians are paid a salary as our only choice? If current conditions don’t change, it looks like those 2 possibilities are growing. BD

Small wonder, then, that the vast majority of students now specialize in fields like radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, plastic surgery and dermatology. These specialties can, on average, offer twice to three times the average income of a family practitioner. In part, this is a reflection of specialists' receiving two to three times the reimbursement rate of primary care physicians, according to a new study from Harvard Medical School.