Study finds recruitment of primary care physicians soars 55 percent over past year

(AP) Recruitment of primary care physicians soared over the past year, reflecting a shift in the health care landscape, which until recently had seen the greatest demand among specialists, according to a recently released report.

Requests to find family doctors jumped 55 percent from the end of March 2005 to April 1, 2006 while demand for internists rose 46 percent, said Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, a physicians recruiting firm. The firm conducted more searches for internists than any other type of doctor, followed by family practitioners.

Merritt Hawkins said primary care physicians haven't topped its most requested list since the 1990s when many health care organizations sought them to manage patient care. But that model of care faded, and hospitals and medical groups focused on recruiting surgical and diagnostic specialists.

Merritt Hawkins said that fewer medical school graduates specialized in general medicine and the need for doctors in that field is growing as the population expands and ages.

General practitioners' salaries still lag behind specialists' compensation. According to the report, an internist was offered an average of $162,000 a year while the average overture to a family doctor was $145,000. In contrast, a radiologist was offered an average of $351,000 while a cardiologist was recruited with an average salary of $342,000.

That may be changing, according to Kurt Mosley, senior vice president of business development at Merritt Hawkins.

Mosley said that in the last few months salaries offered to internists are up about 10 percent to 15 percent. He said that internists are attractive because they often have subspecialties in areas like cardiology or gastroenterology so they can wear two hats and treat patients who need more targeted care. However, he believes as demand for family doctors grow so will their salaries.