Newsweek (10/13/25) Kidwai, Aman

The worsening physician shortage in the United States, projected to reach up to 86,000 by 2036, is fueled by increasing healthcare demands, a wave of retirement, and limited residency slots. While new and expanded medical schools — including ones in Minnesota, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Maryland — aim to address local needs and boost the workforce, experts stress that increasing the number of medical graduates alone will not solve the problem. Distribution issues persist, with many graduates unable to secure residencies, and younger physicians less inclined to practice in underserved or rural areas. Burnout, early retirement, and career shifts into non-clinical roles further strain the system. Experts stress the need for improved working conditions, retention strategies, and expanded residency programs. Additionally, international medical graduates, who make up nearly a quarter of the physician workforce and often work in underserved areas, face new visa-related barriers, including a proposed $100,000 H-1B application fee. The American Medical Association and more than 50 other medical societies have urged the federal government to exempt physicians from this fee, citing their critical role in maintaining healthcare access. "The U.S. healthcare workforce relies upon physicians from other countries to provide high-quality and accessible patient care,” their September letter stated. “[We] urge the Administration to categorically consider H-1B physicians' entry into the U.S. to be in the national interest of the country…so that H-1B physicians can continue to be a pipeline that provides health care to U.S. patients.”

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