Young Physicians May Be Losing Interest in Emergency Medicine. Is This an Opportunity for UC?

This year has seen record low interest in emergency medicine residency positions, with 555 unmatched positions (compared with 219 in 2022), according to an article published by MedPage Today. It’s not a sudden trend, either; between 2021 and 2022, applications to EM residencies dropped 16.8%. While the American College of Emergency Physicians is reportedly putting together a task force to grasp the reason for the decline (and to figure out a way to reverse it), the MedPage Today piece suggests that “emergency physicians are burnt out, paperwork and workload burdens are high and rising, and there is little autonomy.” Problems with reimbursements are likely not helping, either, it goes on to say. The latter is not unique to emergency medicine, of course—and nor is concern over the shortage of qualified providers. Urgent care operators may be in a position to offer a more appealing prospect for young physicians who previously may have opted to pursue a career in emergency medicine. At the same time, it may be more essential than ever to hang on to the clinicians you already count on to deliver excellent care. To get a sense of how you’re doing in that regard, read Becoming the Employer of Choice for the Emerging Urgent Care Workforce in the JUCM archive.