2025 podiatric physician workforce analysis based on health resources & services administration (HRSA) projections.

Abstract

Background: Workforce shortages in the profession of medicine are currently experienced and anticipated to worsen across most specialties, and unfortunately, podiatric medicine and surgery is no exception to this trend.

Purpose: The objective of this investigation was to evaluate contemporary and short-term future podiatric physician workforce patterns utilizing open-access US government databases.

Study design: Epidemiologic descriptive analysis.

Methods: State-specific podiatric physician workforce estimates and projections for 2025 and 2035 were investigated utilizing information from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the National Downloadable File from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and podiatric medical school matriculant and graduate information from the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM).

Results: The HRSA estimated a demand for 21,280 podiatric physicians in 2025, with a supply estimate of 19,460, for a shortage of 1,810. Only three states demonstrated an estimated podiatric workforce surplus in 2025, while there were 9 states with an estimated podiatric physician shortage >200 physicians. The HRSA further estimates a demand for 23,920 podiatric physicians in 2035, with a supply estimate of 19,240, for an estimated shortage of 4680. Seventeen states might be expected to have estimated podiatric physician shortages >200 in 2035 including four states with expected estimated podiatric physician shortages >500 (Texas, California, Florida, and Georgia).

Conclusion: It is our hope that this information might be utilized by local, state and national podiatric organizations to assist in student and physician recruitment in active anticipation of future trends pertaining to patient access to podiatric care.