Here are five takeaways:
1. West Virginia boasts the third oldest population in the United States, yet the state only claims 36 practicing geriatricians.
2. West Virginia University – Charleston offers one of four geriatric fellowship programs in the state. However, the program has not received any placements in the last three years.
3. The nation’s 130 national geriatric fellowship programs offer 383 positions, but in 2016, only 192 of those positions were filled.
4. Fellowships are mandatory for physicians wishing to be geriatricians, so some experts believe debt may be swaying young physicians away from the field and into fields without required fellowships.
5. A medical student graduates with an average debt of $183,000.
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