Physician work force in Texas: planning for the future

A number of proposals have been advanced to solve the shortage of primary care physicians in the United States. We analyzed the supply of primary care and nonprimary care physicians in Texas and contrasted work force supply with projected need. Texas has a serious shortage of primary care physicians and an adequate supply of nonprimary care specialists only in major urban areas. We also analyzed attitudes of medical students in and graduates of The University of Texas medical schools to assess factors that influenced their career choices. The most influential factors were remarkably similar among all groups and were related primarily to personal attributes and experience. This study assesses the current physician work force in Texas and suggests means by which policy can be decided to affect the supply and distribution of physicians in Texas.