There will be a projected shortage of 6,300 anesthesiologists by 2036, according to a 2024 Medicus white paper.
Here are five notes from the whitepaper know:
1. There are currently 51,492 active anesthesiologists in the U.S. Of those, 56.9% are 55 years or older and more than 17% are nearing retirement.
2. The current number of residency positions is not enough to meet the rising demand, the report said. In 2024, there were 1,695 anesthesiology residency positions available, and around 44 percent of medical students seeking an anesthesiology residency did not match.
3. The demand for anesthesiologists will likely increase because of the projected 2% to 3% increase in demand for surgical services over the next decade.
4. Sixty-one percent of anesthesiologists reported they would take less pay for a better work-life balance, and 50% reported either being burned out or both burned out and depressed. Of those, 51% attributed burnout to too many hours at work.
5. There is a projected 2.6% increase in overall anesthesiologist employment from 2022 and 2032.