Primary care physician jobs have become more difficult to fill, according to American Medical News.
AMN cites an annual benchmarking report from the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters, which shows that primary care physician positions took 151 days to fill in 2011, up from 125 in 2010 and 115 in 2009. This situation is due to a greater number of older patients increasing demand for primary care doctors, and an aging physician population limiting the supply.
According to the report, recruiters filled just 51 percent of available positions for any physician specialty by the end of 2011, a decrease when compared to the 60 percent filled in 2010. To combat this trend and attract physicians, recruiters say a variety of inducements may be offered, including signing bonuses, educational loan forgiveness, four-day workweeks, flexible scheduling, and jobs for spouses.
