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These Doctors Are In High Demand, But There's A Shortage

senior citizen
Pixabay

When older adults reach retirement age, for some, it may also be time to search for a geriatrician. Doctors in this field specialize in treating senior citizens, but at a time when the aging population is growing, the number of geriatricians may not be able to keep pace.

By the year 2030, census data projects 31 million Americans will be older than 75. The American Geriatrics Society estimates that to meet the demand, medical schools would have to train at least 6,250 additional geriatricians between now and 2030, or about 450 more a year than the current rate. Yet the field of geriatrics is shrinking. It ranks at the bottom of the list of specialties that internal medicine residents choose to pursue.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss the field of geriatrics and the increased demand for this practice are, with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Chief of the Office of Geriatric Medicine, Martha Betty Semmons Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine and Cincinnati VA Medical Center Chief of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, and Community Living Center Director Irene Hamrick, MD; Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine Mark Hoelzle, MD; and Family Medicine Resident Anna Schweikert, MD.

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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Michael Monks brings a broad range of experience to WVXU-FM as the host of Cincinnati Edition, Cincinnati Public Radio's weekday news and information talk show.