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Retirement age and the work force in general surgery
1American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Annals of Surgery
|October 1, 1996
Summary
General surgeons are retiring later, but fewer are entering the field. This trend, driven by dissatisfaction with surgical practice, reduces the overall years of experience in the general surgery workforce.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Workforce Analysis
- Medical Professional Demographics
- Retirement Trends in Medicine
Background:
- In 1994, the US had approximately 7 general surgeons per 100,000 population.
- Data sources included American College of Surgeons, American Board of Medical Specialties, and American Medical Association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the retirement age of general surgery Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) between 1984 and 1995.
- To analyze the impact of retirement age on the general surgery workforce.
Main Methods:
- Searched ACS Fellowship files (1984-1995) for retirement status or death before retirement.
- Calculated the effect of practice years on the total general surgeon workforce.
- Surveyed retirees from 1984-1985 and 1994-1995 regarding retirement decision factors.
Main Results:
- Average retirement age increased from 60.45 (1984) to 62.97 (1995).
- Retirement factors shifted: unfavorable changes in surgery rose from 29% to 56% between the periods.
- Despite longer individual practice, the total practice years per cohort decreased due to fewer new surgeons.
Conclusions:
- The number of general surgeons entering the workforce is declining.
- Increased retirement age does not compensate for the reduced influx of new surgeons.
- The overall practice years contributed by new general surgeon cohorts are diminishing.
