In a recent article in the Boston Globe, Dr. Lewis A. Lipsitz, of Harvard Medical School, decried the future of geriatrics, which has seen fewer and fewer new members in recent years. One of the reasons for this, according to Lipsitz, is that the specialty encompasses many interacting medical, social and psychological aspects, such as discussing the efficacy of treatment options, the effect of treatments on quality of life and the risks and benefits of treatment, none of which is adequately compensated by Medicare.
Consequently, said Lipsitz, "The specialty is not attracting enough physicians to care for our rapidly expanding elderly population. In 2008 there were 7,128 certified geriatricians in the United States. By 2030, we will need 36,000 geriatricians. But the number of graduating physicians seeking specialty training in geriatrics is going in the wrong direction, dropping from 167 in 2003 to 91 in 2007. Fewer doctors are specializing in geriatrics, in part because it does not provide sufficient income to pay off their loans or compensate them fairly for the labor-intensive work."
