Older Adults Need Geriatricians. Where Will They Come From?

The New York Times observes that, for years, the medical profession has been troubled by a persistent shortage of doctors who treat the oldest and sickest patients. Geriatricians not only monitor and coordinate treatment for the many ailments, disabilities, and medications their senior patients contend with, they also help them determine what is most important for their well-being and quality of life moving forward. But geriatrics became a board-certified medical specialty only in 1988. A 2018 analysis showed that through academic year 2017-18, the number of graduate fellowship programs that train geriatricians — underwritten by Medicare — increased from 182 to 210. That represents practically no growth when adjusted for the nation's rising population. "It's basically stagnation," laments Aldis Petriceks, the study's lead author, who is currently a Harvard University medical student. He further notes that geriatrics is failing to attract enough young doctors to the graduate fellowships it does offer. Setting aside geriatric psychiatry, over 33 percent of the 384 slots went unfilled in 2019, the American Geriatrics Society reports. One issue is pay. Total compensation for geriatricians in 2018 averaged $233,564, reports the Medical Group Management Association. By contrast, anesthesiologists earned twice as much, and radiologists and cardiologists both topped $500,000.