Primary care practices in the U.S. are in serious trouble, according to multiple workforce surveys. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) estimates a deficit of 86,000 primary care doctors by 2036, as more primary care doctors retire, and fewer ones enter the field.

The number of people who can’t find a primary care doctor has grown by 20 percent in the last decade, according to a recent JAMA report.

Lower relative salaries, and higher professional stress, are disincentives when medical students consider a career in primary care. Newly-minted doctors can earn more in specialties such as cardiology or surgery.

Financial stresses in U.S. health care – exacerbated by the COVID pandemic — have led to the closure of many primary care practices, according to the AAMC.