Low comp creates geriatrician shortage as population ages

With the number of older adults in the United States expected to nearly double by 2030, the need for geriatricians has never been higher. But training new geriatric specialists has rarely been more difficult, due in large part to the specialty’s low compensation levels compared to other specialties.

In fact, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) predicts an impending healthcare crisis caused by a widening gap between the number of geriatricians needed and the number currently being trained. The IOM report, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, released earlier this year, advocated improving recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and paying higher salaries.