The physician workforce in Louisiana, 1994: the quantity of doctors, residents, and fellows

Health care system reform raises many issues for doctors, patients, and all components of the system: professional practice, health careers education, and medical research. This report was prepared to identify trends in the medical workforce and to quantify for 1994 the number of licensed physicians in Louisiana, the number of residents and fellows, their institutional locations and the types of educational programs. The yearly publication of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners was utilized for physician numbers, and the 1994 house officer data was contributed by the several institutions with residency and fellowship educational programs. Of the 9031 licensed physicians located in Louisiana in 1994, 1769 were residents or fellows in educational programs. Over the four years from 1990 to 1994, total licensed physicians in Louisiana, including house officers in educational institutions, increased slowly from 8386 to 9031, a rate of 1.78% per year.