What medical specialties are most likely to be popular in the next 5 to 10 years? As always, the medical employment field continues to evolve and grow as it responds to both market factors and the coming changes that will be implemented by government regulators. “Obamacare”, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is the biggest influencer physicians and patients will encounter in upcoming years. As has been repeated time and again in the press, all of the implications of the new laws remain unclear and will become apparent over time. The outlook for primary care doctors is optimistic, but what about the predictions for neurology jobs, pain management jobs, or other more specialized fields like otolaryngology?

In 2012, one of the most frequently placed type of physician was one you might guess – family practice physicians. These doctors can treat and diagnose a wide variety of everyday ailments and are eligible to practice either privately or as part of a larger physician group. Internal medicine physicians and hospitalists (who are internal medicine physicians practicing exclusively at hospitals) also were extremely popular and among the most easily placed in 2012. The National Association of Physician Recruiters has identified other specialties that were popular in 2012, including ObGyn (obstetrics and gynecology), psychiatry, cardiology, pediatrics, neurology, surgery, and orthopedic surgery.

One trend that relates in part to the Obamacare mandate is an increased interest in physicians who are able to provide primary care. That is, as more individuals are either required to get health insurance or enjoy having health insurance for the first time, more will seek routine or preventative care. Likewise, requiring insurance companies to pay for normal primary care treatments and preventative measures like vaccines will likely lead to larger numbers of patients who ask for these services. Interestingly, the demand for hospitalists may also increase. In the year 2012, for instance, it’s estimated that there were around 40,000 hospitalists practicing in the US. These physicians may be recruited more aggressively than other specialists because doing so will free other specialists to carry on their work, which in turn relieves the burden that may be placed on primary care providers. Put more simply, if hospitals can take care of more patients themselves without needing to refer them elsewhere, it frees up primary care and family practice doctors and in turn allows them to treat more patients.

The Obamacare mandate is also likely to mean that more patients will seek the care of a physician and that there will be fewer physicians per patient nationwide (as a ratio). This type of scenario where there may actually be a physician shortage will also likely increase competition. Rural areas and areas not usually considered ‘attractive’ for young doctors may have to compete more and offer higher salaries or different benefits in order to draw physicians away from the larger metropolitan areas where hospitals and clinics may also have an interest in hiring young doctors.

While no one truly knows all of the repercussions of Obamacare or the changing marketplace for physicians and physician recruiters, it’s likely that primary care providers will have the easiest time finding a position – at least for the foreseeable future. The likely effects on highly-trained specialists remain unclear, however.

To see physician job opportunities and apply for free, visit PhysEmp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see neurology jobs , pain management jobs, internal medicine jobs, and many more.

To see physician job opportunities and apply for free, visit http://www.physemp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see neurology jobs, pain management jobs, internal medicine jobs, and many more.

Author Bio: To see physician job opportunities and apply for free, visit PhysEmp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see neurology jobs , pain management jobs, internal medicine jobs, and many more.

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