Physicians, med schools fret about future, but some see signs of hope

One survey reveals that doctors fear some of the changes due to the health law, while primary care physicians say the law may spur needed change.

Medscape: Physician Frustration Grows, Income Falls -- But A Ray Of Hope
Physician income overall has declined since 2010, yet there are tiny glimmers of hope in some specialties. Frustration is mounting, however, and doctors in every specialty are bracing for what they expect to be further income declines as healthcare elements are implemented, such as ACOs and required treatment and quality guidelines. Those are some of the insights from Medscape's Physician Compensation Survey Report: 2012 (Crane, 4/24).

Georgia Health News: Team Approach May Help Fill Gaps In Primary Care
Georgia and the rest of the nation already have a general shortage of obstetricians, internists, pediatricians and family medicine doctors, especially in rural and urban areas. ... Many uninsured patients put off seeking care until "the pain is unbearable," said Dr. David Satcher. ... Dr. Frank Don Diego of Rome said the patient-centered concept known as a "medical home" has the potential to revamp primary care -- and attract more providers (Miller, 4/24). 

Meanwhile, in Texas a proposal on doctor training has raised some concerns.

The Texas Tribune: Higher-Ed Board Mulls Access For Caribbean Med School
The American University of the Caribbean, a for-profit medical school owned by DeVry Inc., has requested authorization from the coordinating board to allow its students -; and in particular those from Texas -; to have the opportunity to spend years three and four of medical school in Texas hospitals. ... Texas medical schools, charged with increasing enrollment to meet the state's physician shortage, are already "starting to stumble over each other" finding their students the right clerkships, said Dr. Cynthia Jumper, who heads the Texas Medical Association's medical education council (Hamilton and Ramshaw, 4/25).