Academic Medicine Open Forum

• In 2022, the specialties with the largest numbers of active physicians were the primary care specialties of internal medicine, family medicine/general practice, and pediatrics (refer to Total Physicians by Specialty). 

• In 2022, there were 297 active physicians per 100,000 population and 252 direct patient care physicians per 100,000 population in the United States (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). States in the northeast had the highest number of active physicians per 100,000 population and direct patient care physicians per 100,000 population (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty).  

• • Among states, Massachusetts had the highest number of active physicians (480) and direct patient care physicians (369) per 100,000 population (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). Idaho had the lowest number of active physicians (192) and direct patient care physicians (178) per 100,000 population (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). 

  • Among territories, the District of Columbia had the highest number of active physicians (926) and direct patient care (647) per 100,000 population (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). American Samoa had the lowest number of active physicians and direct patient care physicians per 100,000 population (masked due to small cell sizes, fewer than 40 each), followed by the Northern Mariana Islands (46 and 40, respectively; refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). 

  • Nationally, there were 7 direct patient care general surgeons per 100,000 population in 2022 (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). The District of Columbia had the highest number of direct patient care general surgeons per 100,000 population (15), followed by Vermont, Maine, and Wyoming (10 each; refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). The Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa had the lowest number of direct patient care general surgeons per 100,000 population (0), followed by Oklahoma, Idaho, Texas, Utah, and Nevada (5 each) and Guam (masked due to small cell sizes, fewer than 5) (refer to Physicians per 100,000 Population by Specialty). 

• In 2022, 24.7% of active physicians were international medical graduates (IMGs) (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). States and territories varied widely in the percentage of their physician workforce that graduated from an international medical school (refer to Compare Physicians by Specialty and State or Territory). Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Guam, and New York had the highest percentages (47.0%, 37.9%, 37.5%, and 36.0%, respectively), while Idaho (6.2%) had the lowest percentage of IMGs (refer to Compare Physicians by Specialty and State or Territory). 

• In 2022, more than one-third (37.6%) of the active physician workforce was female (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). Pediatrics (65.6%) and hospice and palliative medicine (62.2%) had the highest percentages of female physicians, while sports medicine (orthopedic surgery) and orthopedic surgery (7.5% and 6.2%, respectively) had the lowest percentages (refer to Compare Physician Data by Specialty and State or Territory).  

• • The highest percentages of female physicians were in the District of Columbia (49.4%), the U.S. Virgin Islands (45.5%), and Massachusetts (44.3%; refer to Compare Physicians by Specialty and State or Territory). Utah had the lowest percentage of female physicians at 26.2%, followed by American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands (masked due to small cell sizes, less than 20% respectively; refer to Physicians by State or Territory and Specialty). 

• • Note: The AMA Physician Professional Data defines gender as "male" OR "female." Although limited to these categories within our analyses, we acknowledge sex and gender as fluid, nonbinary variables. 

• In 2022, 23.2% of active physicians were age 65 or older (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). The percentages of this age group in individual specialties ranged from 66.5% in pulmonary disease to 2.0% in clinical neurophysiology (refer to Compare Physician Data by Specialty and State or Territory). 

• • The Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa had the highest percentages of physicians aged 65 and older (masked due to small cell sizes, both above 35.0%), followed by Puerto Rico (35.5%; refer to Physicians by State or Territory and Specialty). Utah had the lowest percentage of physicians older than 65 years (18%; refer to Physicians by State or Territory and Specialty). 

• In 2022, 16.9% of active physicians were under age 40 (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). The percentages of this age group in individual specialties ranged from 37.6% in hospice and palliative medicine to 0.7% in pulmonary disease (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). 

• • Missouri had the highest percentage of physicians under age 40 (24.7%), and American Samoa had no physicians under age 40 (0%; refer to Physicians by State or Territory and Specialty). 

• In 2022, 56.5% of active physicians identified as White, 18.8% as Asian, 6.3% as Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin (alone or in combination), 5.2% as Black or African American, and less than 1.5% identified as Multiracial (non-Hispanic; 1.3%), Other (1.1%), American Indian or Alaska Native (0.3%), or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (0.1%). The percentage of physicians with an unknown race or ethnicity was 10.4% (refer to Physicians in All Specialties). 

Explore physician data by location, specialty, and characteristics of interest now – access the dashboard: https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/2023-us-physician-workforce-data-dashboard

To read our key findings and view definitions, acronyms, and practice specialties used in this dashboard, visit the Key Findings and Definitions page. 

Is there something you'd like to see on the dashboard, or do you have a question? Contact our colleague @Michael Dill here in the community or send an email to workforce@aamc.org.