The United States is facing a critical physician shortage, a problem that threatens the accessibility and quality of healthcare for millions of Americans. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the country could experience a shortfall of up to 86,000 doctors by 2036.
This shortage is fueled by several factors, including an aging population, an aging physician workforce, and insufficient residency program capacity. While the impact of this shortage is widespread, certain populations and regions are disproportionately affected. Here are three groups most impacted by the lack of doctors.
Rural areas in the U.S. have long struggled with physician shortages, and the problem is worsening. Many rural counties lack sufficient primary care providers and specialists, forcing residents to travel long distances for basic healthcare services.
According to a 2025 STAT News article, rural areas are expected to have 56% fewer physicians than they need by 2037, compared with a 6% shortage in urban areas. This disparity leads to delayed diagnoses, untreated chronic conditions, and increased reliance on emergency care.
While urban centers may have a higher concentration of medical facilities, low-income and underserved communities within cities often face significant healthcare access challenges. For example, a 2020 Cureus article on physician shortages reported that while the city of Philadelphia has no net shortage of primary care physicians, the reality varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. “Low physician-access census tracts were more likely to be in a neighborhood with a higher proportion of African Americans, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and insurance status,” the report notes.
Research conducted by the University of Michigan in 2018 shows that urban physicians are more likely to practice in affluent neighborhoods or private institutions, leaving inner-city hospitals and clinics understaffed. As a result, patients in these communities experience long wait times, inadequate preventive care, and difficulties managing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
The aging U.S. population is another major factor contributing to the physician shortage. The number of Americans aged 65 and older is expected to nearly double by 2060, increasing the demand for healthcare services. At the same time, a significant portion of the current physician workforce is approaching retirement, further exacerbating the shortage.
Geriatricians, who specialize in elderly care, are particularly scarce, leaving many older adults without the specialized care they need to manage complex health conditions. According the National Resident Matching Program, 71% of residency spots in geriatric medicine went unfilled in 2025 (p. 51). This is likely due to the lower salary potential for geriatricians: a 2025 Business Insider article notes that in New York City, for example, a cardiologist earns more than double what a geriatrician earns.
Solving the physician shortage requires a multi-faceted approach. There are steps regulatory bodies and Congress can take, such as increasing funding for residency programs, creating specialized immigration pathways to attract foreign physicians, and encouraging current doctors to practice in underserved areas through loan forgiveness programs and financial incentives. Changes to medical practice may also help alleviate some of the strain by optimizing existing resources, such as telemedicine and team-based care models.
Education, however, is crucial. At Tiber Health, we believe that helping talented students enhance their academic qualifications for medical school can create a pipeline of physicians who are not just ready to meet the rising need for physicians, but to help address historic gaps in service.
Decades of research have shown that physicians from underrepresented backgrounds are more likely to practice in underserved areas – for example, this 2022 study which found that students who are under-represented in medicine (URiM) were more likely to plan careers serving underserved populations. Our one-year Master of Science in Medical Sciences curriculum offers students an innovative pathway toward medical school admission, combining coursework that mirrors the first year of pre-clinical classes at an LCME-accredited medical school with a predictive analytics suite that helps students understand how they’re performing, address strengths and weaknesses, and explore the best health professional paths to match their skills. Learn more about the MSMS curriculum here
