Zulfiqar Rana, MD, MPH, FACP

A shortage of primary-care and other physicians could mean more-limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients.Proponents of the new health-care law say it does attempt to address the physician shortage. The law offers sweeteners to encourage more people to enter medical professions, and a 10% Medicare pay boost for primary-care doctors.Meanwhile, a number of new medical schools have opened around the country recently. As of last October, four new medical schools enrolled a total of about 190 students, and 12 medical schools raised the enrollment of first-year students by a total of 150 slots, according to the AAMC. Some 18,000 students entered U.S. medical schools in the fall of 2009, the AAMC says.

via U.S. Faces Shortage of Doctors – WSJ.com.