Although the United States has long been held in high regard for its quality medical schools and the resulting healthcare workers, our country is still facing a shortage of medical workers. According to an article in the New York Times, medical schools have been consistently putting out at 16,000 doctors per year since the 1980s. Although this figure has remained consistent, the percentage of doctors when compared to the rest of the population has fallen. After all, during this same time period, the population grew by about 50 million during the period falling from 1980 to 2000.

In an attempt to increase the number of doctors graduating each year, medical schools have decided to increase their admissions last year. As opposed to the 16,170 people admitted in 1998, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the number of students admitted to these programs was upped to 18,036 last year.

The Association of American Medical Colleges hopes to see these figures grow even more. In fact, the association is calling for medical schools to push or a 30% increase in admissions next year. Increasing the number of admissions is particularly important because the Center for Workforce Studies predicts the gap between the demand for doctors and the number of available doctors to get as high as 125,000 to 159,000 by 2025.

There are some obstacles standing in the way of increasing the number of people admitted to medical programs, however, as the number of eligible candidates is limited. After all, students must be able to demonstrate their knowledge in the physical and biological sciences, which is measured by the Medical College Admissions Test. Another problem is a lack of availability of residency openings. Currently, there are about 1,000 teaching hospitals available, with each having a limited amount of space available for residents. These limitations are largely in place due to the fact that Medicare pays for the residency training and available paid slots through the program have been frozen for over 10 years

Reportedly, President Barack Obama is attempting to make some changes that will make it possible for more qualified individuals to get accepted into medical school. In addition, he is attempting to make some fundamental changes with the current medical system that will help even out the playing field in terms of the amount of pay specialists and family doctors earn. This way, the President hopes to increase the number of doctors pursuing practices as general practitioners.

No matter how you look at it, there is certainly no better time than now to start pursuing a medical degree. Not only are jobs expected to be abundant, the income is likely to remain quite attractive. So, if you are interested in a career in the medical field, now is the time to start moving in that direction!