A new study has added to mounting data indicating that the U.S. cardiologist workforce is aging faster than it is being replaced.
The study, led by Dr. Abraham Kyei Carboo, was published Aug. 19 in JACC: Advances. It examined structural shifts in the U.S. cardiology workforce from 2005 to 2023. Key findings:
1. Workforce grew, but density fell. The active cardiologist count rose by roughly 1,000, but population growth outpaced it. Population-adjusted cardiologist density declined 0.29% annually.
2. The workforce is aging rapidly. The share of cardiologists age 55 and older rose from 37% in 2005 to 65% in 2023, based on age-stratified data through 2021.
3. Replacement is not keeping pace. The replacement ratio — younger cardiologists entering the field relative to retirements — declined by 0.065 per year.
4. Gender diversity improved. Women made up 9% of active cardiologists in 2005 and 17% in 2023, narrowing the male-to-female ratio from 10.1-to-1 to 5.0-to-1.
5. Authors recommend five fixes. Team-based care models, expanded cardiology fellowship positions, fewer barriers for underrepresented groups, more support for international medical graduates, and greater use of late-career cardiologists for outpatient consultations.
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