An interesting take on the much talked about doctor shortage. Their argument—that advances in medical treatments and care models will increase the efficiency of each doctor—can also be flipped. Advances in cardiac care, cancer treatments, and transplants are helping such patients live much longer, but requiring more complex care. The category of ‘immunosuppressed’ patients alone has expanded widely in recent years.

As with most things, the end reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. We will likely need more physicians than we are currently producing, but that number may not be as large as current projections estimate.