| Title | Trauma and surgical critical care workforce in the United States: a severe surgeon shortage appears imminent. | | Author(s) | Cohn SM, Price MA, Villarreal CL | | Institution | Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. cohn@uthscsa.edu | | Source | J Am Coll Surg 2009 Oct; 209(4):446-452.e4. | | MeSH | Adult
Aged
Critical Care
Female
General Surgery
Health Care Surveys
Hospitals, Rural
Hospitals, Urban
Humans
Male
Medical Staff, Hospital
Middle Aged
Physicians
Questionnaires
Reimbursement Mechanisms
Research Design
Salaries and Fringe Benefits
Trauma Centers
Traumatology
United States
Workload
| | Abstract | BACKGROUND: We conducted a survey to determine the state of the trauma and critical care workforce and compensation for such surgeons.
STUDY DESIGN: We sent questionnaires to 460 directors of Level I and Level II trauma centers in the US to gather information about their current and expected resource needs and compensation packages.
RESULTS: We received responses from 117 directors (25%). Midlevel faculty mean salary was $282,000 +/- $85,000; with a mean bonus of $33,000 +/- $34,000; and a mean trauma call stipend of $1,690 +/- $900. Mean of the yearly representative value units of work was 7,845 +/- 3,154. An average of 1.7 +/- 1.4 trauma surgeon positions per center are currently unfilled (mean vacancy duration of 19 +/- 20 months), with another 1.2 +/- 0.5 full-time equivalents expected to retire within 3 years. A mean of 0.9 +/- 0.9 additional positions are expected to be added within the next 3 years because of the growing workload. By 2012, the US might have 1,500 unfilled trauma surgeon positions (with 2,250 occupied).
CONCLUSIONS: Trauma and critical care surgeons in the US are clinically busy and well compensated for their efforts, but a severe shortage of surgeons in this specialty appears imminent. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 19801317 |
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