National Primary Care Week Addresses Critical Shortage Of Physicians In United States

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 20 Oct 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Hundreds of health profession students will celebrate the 11th Annual National Primary Care Week (NPCW), October 19-23, 2009. NPCW, a project of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), highlights the significance of primary care and provides an interactive environment for discussing the importance of primary care in today's health care system.

"The shortage of primary care physicians in the United States is tragic," says Lala Yogendran, AMSA NPCW coordinator. "It is one of the most critical and solvable issues facing health care reform. That is, our most diligent efforts to insure all Americans will be wasted if there are no doctors to care for patients. We need to start by encouraging our future physicians to pursue this vibrant specialty."

On Wednesday, October 21 at 9 p.m. EST, AMSA will host a live Webinar, "Evidence Based Medicine Agrees: We Need Primary Care." Hosted by AMSA National President Lauren S. Hughes, MD, MPH, the discussion will focus on the evidence base confirming the value and necessity of primary care, as well as highlight personal experiences and mentoring ideas from current students.

The number of U.S. medical students opting for primary care careers has plummeted 52 percent over the past decade, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Fewer than 10 percent of the 2008 graduating class opted for a career in primary care.

"We must find a way to incentivize primary care for the next generation of physicians," says Hughes. "All evidence points to the central role of primary care practitioners in the provision of best care. Over the last decade, NPCW has been highly successful at highlighting the importance of primary care for the health of this nation."

NPCW was named to the 2006 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national award sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) that recognizes innovative projects that benefit and advance society.

NPCW Sponsors include: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American College of Physicians, American Student Dental Association, Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps, Physicians for a National Health Program, Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.

To learn more about National Primary Care Week, visit http://www.amsa.org/npcw.

Source
American Medical Student Association

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