Survey: Physician Wait Times Surge 19% since 2022

New AMN Healthcare report tracks the average new patient wait times in 15 cities for six specialties.

The struggles of rural Americans to access physicians in designated healthcare deserts is well-documented.

Now, a new survey from clinician recruiters AMN Healthcare shows that urbanites face similar hurdles. On average, AMN's 2025 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times found that it takes 31 days to schedule doctors' appointments in 15 of the nation's largest cities. That's an increase of 19% (26 days) since 2022, and 48% (21 days) since 2004 in cities with the nation's highest per capita concentrations of doctors.

"Average physician appointment wait times are the longest they have been since we began conducting the survey (in 2004)," says Leah Grant, president of AMN's Physician Solutions division. "Longer physician appointment wait times are a significant indicator that the nation is experiencing a growing shortage of physicians."

Average physician appointment wait times in the six specialties surveyed include:

• OB/GYN - 42 days, up 33% since 2022 and up 79% since 2004. 
• Gastroenterology - 40 days (gastroenterology was added to the survey in 2025).
• Dermatology - 36.5 days, up 6% since 2022 and up 50% since 2004.
• Cardiology - 33 days, up 23% from 2022 and up 74% since 2004.
• Family Medicine - 23.5 days, up 14% since 2022 and up 16% since 2009, the first year family medicine was included in the survey.
• Orthopedic Surgery - 12 days, down 29% since 2022 and down 29% since 2004.

Of the cities surveyed, Boston, with one of the nation's highest per capita concentrations of physicians, also has the longest average physician appointment wait time at 65 days, while Atlanta has the shortest at 12 days.

By some accounts, there were 313 physicians per 100,000 people in 2024, with 1,109,460 physicians covering 353 million people nationwide. The District of Columbia has 1,639 physicians per 100,000 residents, the highest in the nation, whereas predominantly rural Idaho has 19 physicians per 10,000 residents. In general, rural areas have about 13 physicians per 10,000 people, compared to 31 per 10,000 in cities.

Grant says it's telling that urban patients are having trouble booking appointments in areas rife with physicians.  

"It's a sobering sign for the rest of the country when even patients in large cities must wait weeks to see a physician," she says.

Physician appointment wait times can vary widely depending on the specialty and metropolitan area. For example, wait times can range from as short as one day to as long as 291 days for a dermatology appointment in Portland, Oregon, as long as 231 days for an obstetrics/gynecology appointment in Boston, as long as 208 days for a gastroenterology appointment in Detroit, and as long as 175 days for a cardiology appointment in Washington, D.C.   

What's Driving This?

There is no indication that wait times are going to improve in the near future. A 2024 Association of American Medical Colleges report projects a shortage up of to 86,000 physicians by 2036. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of 57,259 full-time-equivalent physicians this year and a shortage of 81,180 physicians by 2035.

AMN says factors driving the physician shortage include population growth, an aging population and corresponding aging physician population, pervasive ill-health, limited physician training capacity, physician burnout, and physician maldistribution.

"Lengthening physician appointment wait times are the inevitable outcome of the growing gap between demand for physicians and the available supply," Grant says.

"An aging population is driving demand for doctors higher at the same time that physicians themselves are aging out of the system. Meanwhile, the pipeline of new physicians is limited due to underfunding of physician graduate medical education.  As a result, people are waiting weeks or months to see a physician."

Medicare / Medicaid Acceptance Rates

The survey reports that 82% of physicians in the 15 major urban markets accept Medicare. Boston has the highest number of physicians accepting Medicare at 94%, while Atlanta has the lowest at 68%.

However, only 53% of physicians in the 15 metropolitan areas accept Medicaid. Detroit leads the way at 85%, while New York has the lowest at 28%.

"The type of health insurance patients have may impact their access to physicians," Grant says. "While Medicare is widely accepted by physicians, Medicaid is less so."

The survey includes data from 1,391 physician offices in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.