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In West Virginia, there is a severe shortage of dermatologists and endocrinologists at both hospitals and private practices. The story would not be so unusual except for the fact that West Virginia University's School of Medicine is the only school in the state offering dermatology endocrinology programs. What's more, they are only allowed by their national accrediting organization to admit one student per year, according to the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. The situation with certain types of doctors in West Virginia is not unusual. Nevertheless, it does beg the question as to how much schools and accrediting organizations are responsible for the shortage of doctors. Are they negatively affecting physician jobs by purposely steering med students in specific directions, while leaving others by the wayside? This same question was addressed earlier this spring in light of the fact that physician jobs are being left vacant in record numbers. When the issue of inadequate enrollment and graduation was brought to the forefront the nation's top medical schools got together and agreed to do everything, they could to increase enrollment numbers during the next decade. That is a great start. Encouraging Broad Spectrum of Physician Jobs In addition to encouraging increased enrollment and graduation rates, the nation's medical schools need to do a better job of also encouraging a broad spectrum of physician jobs. For example, the greatest shortage of doctors in the United States is in the area of general practice. For decades, general practice was considered the least worthy area of medicine because other specialties offered more money and prestige. That needs to change. General practitioners provide a vital service to the nation's health care consumers. Without them, the entire system would collapse under the weight of specialists who had nothing to offer those who did need their specialty. General practitioners are the backbone of U.S. healthcare; that is not likely to change anytime soon. Other areas that need a bit more promotion include family practice, internal medicine, general surgery, and anesthesiology. None of these fields has seen the number of new doctors keeping pace with those who are retiring or moving into different specialties. Schools willing to promote lease specialties will be doing the healthcare system a big favor. Marketplace Wide Open The upside to all of this is the fact that the marketplace is wide open for physician jobs. Virtually any med student can choose the field of his choice and get a job immediately after finishing residency. There are physician jobs available in not only hospitals and clinics, but also multi-physician healthcare groups, schools and government agencies, research facilities, and even private practices. If you are currently a dermatologist or endocrinologist, West Virginia certainly could use your help. There is no shortage of those types of physician jobs all over the Mountain State. You can search for employment on your own, sign-on with a recruiter, or even take a job as a locum tenens physician. There are plenty of great options regardless of your personal needs and desires. Search for Physician Jobs and Physician Employment Opportunities at www.healthjobsusa.com .
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