Primary Care Thesis Statement

Introduction

Hook: There is a concerning shortage of physicians in the United States that is growing at an alarming rate.

Background info or discussion of issue(s): According to a report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the demand for primary care physicians will significantly surpass the supply by 2025. This will create an overwhelming shortage of physicians within the next 10 years.

Thesis statement (claim + Reasons): There is an increasing shortage of primary care physicians due to a growing and aging population, expanding health care, and the stigmatizing of primary medical care.

Paragraph 1 Topic Sentence: An aging population is contributing to the shortage of primary care physicians.

A: A study conducted by the Annals of Family Medicine found that over 9,894 more physicians

A: The Affordable Care Act has allowed for more Americans to be able to afford health insurance. As a result, there will be more patients who need to be treated by primary care physicians.

B: Since the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the demand for primary care physicians has increased by over 7,000 more physicians needed.

Paragraph 5 Topic Sentence: The stigma associated with primary care medicine has contributed to the current shortage of physicians.

A: Medical students are discouraged to pursue primary care medicine as they will be paid significantly less than physicians of other specialties.

B: Primary care medicine is not considered to be as prestigious as other specialties like neurological surgery and orthopedic surgery.

Paragraph 6 Topic Sentence: Medical schools are not encouraging more medical students to specialize in primary care medicine.

A: Medical students are often encouraged to pursue other specialties with better projected job growth such as anesthesiology, oncology, dermatology, and