Data compiled by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists indicate the U.S. will experience a shortage of approximately 6,000 to 8,000 OB-GYN physicians by 2020, according to a recent report by Doximity, an online social networking platform for U.S. physicians.
In a report titled "OB-GYN Workload & Potential Shortages: The Coming U.S. Women's Health Crisis," Doximity analysts cited data released by CMS, CDC, board certification information, self-reported statistics and national census information on more than 30,000 full-time, board-certified OB-GYN physicians. To avoid including retired OB-GYNs, physicians over 70 years of age were excluded from the data set.
Researchers analyzed several factors that may contribute to OB-GYN shortage, including the average age of OB-GYN physicians across the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan cities by population, the average age of the OB-GYN workforce in each city and the number of births per OB-GYN per year. Using these factors, analysts developed a composite index score to assess how severe the risk of OB-GYN shortages is in each of the top 50 metropolitan areas.
Here are the top 10 cities with the highest risk of an OB-GYN shortage, according to Doximity.
1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando, Fla.
3. Los Angeles
4. Miami
5. Riverside, Calif.
6. Detroit
7. Memphis, Tenn.
8. Salt Lake City
9. St. Louis
10. Buffalo, N.Y.
To view the full report, click here.