While the number of actively licensed physicians in the United States grew 3 percent overall from 2010 to 2012, the number decreased in four regions across the country, according to data from the Federation of State Medical Boards published in the Journal of Medical Regulation. As more physicians reach retirement age, or choose to retire early to avoid the changes required by healthcare reform, there is some concern that not enough new physicians are entering the workforce. The report found that in 2012, the physician population is slightly older than in 2010 and includes more women and physicians who graduated from a medical school in the Caribbean. Around 92 percent of physicians with an active license in 2012 were MDs while 7.2 percent were DOs.
Here are the regions that experienced a physician volume decrease from 2010 to 2012:
West North Central: 5.9 percent decrease
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
New England: 5.7 percent decrease
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
Middle Atlantic: 2.3 percent decrease
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
East South Central: 1.5 percent decrease
Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama
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