Columbus, Ohio (WCMH) — There is concern among those involved in emergency medicine that not many are interested in pursuing a specialty in this field.
Doctors say it’s a national trend that’s also happening at Ohio State University.
Dr. Nicholas Kuman, an emergency department physician at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said: Professor of Emergency Medicine at Ohio State University.
There aren’t as many emergency medical resident applicants in Ohio and across the country as there once were. Kman says that’s what he’s noticed in the last two applications of his cycle.
“It certainly stands up to scrutiny, but I don’t think it’s time to panic that in 10 years we don’t have an emergency doctor to do the job we need,” he said.
Typically, about 10 percent of Ohio State’s medical student classes pursue emergency medicine in their final year, Kman said. Recently, it has dropped to about 6% or 7%.
Kman said he believes the circumstances surrounding working in emergency medicine are part of the reason. He said one of his biggest reasons is a report in the National Journal of Medicine that predicted there will be more emergency doctors than jobs available by 2030.
“I think people panicked a bit after last year’s Workforce Report. Hopefully things have calmed down and our specialties will continue to be offered by outstanding students and residents.” Kman said.
Ohio State University has several pipeline programs aimed at getting kids interested in this field. Through its partnership with Columbus City Schools, Ohio offers elementary-level and above students the opportunity to learn more about the medical profession and find out what they are like.
Tei Y. Street, director of education at Ohio’s Academy of Health Sciences, said:
Despite his decline, Kman regularly meets with medical students interested in emergency medicine.
“There are job security in paramedics and there are a lot of patients, so I think we are as vital to health care as we have ever been and can rely on students to go on to paramedics,” he said. He said.
