The U.S. physician workforce has gained women and older members since 2007, according to a new data report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The report, released Feb. 2, is based on 2019 data from the American Medical Association, U.S. Census Bureau and GME Track, a resident database and tracking system.
Five insights on the nation's physician workforce from the report:
1. Women represented 28.3 percent of the physician workforce in 2007 compared to 36.3 percent in 2019.
2. Specialties with the highest percentages of women in 2019 were pediatrics (64.3 percent) and obstetrics and gynecology (58.9 percent).
3. Nearly 45 percent of active physicians were age 55 or older in 2019, up from 44.1 percent in 2017 and 37.6 percent in 2007.
4. The percentage of active physicians in sports medicine grew by 55.3 percent, from 1,865 to 2,897, between 2014 and 2019.
5. Specialties with the largest numbers of first-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residents and fellows in 2019 were internal medicine (10,379), family medicine/general practice (4,456), and pediatrics (2,993).
Access the full report here.