Commonly Used Abbreviations
- AAMC: Association of American Medical Colleges
- AACOM: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
- ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- AMA: American Medical Association
- AMA PPD: American Medical Association Physician Professional Data
- DO: doctor of osteopathic medicine
- UME: undergraduate medical education
- GME: graduate medical education
- IMG: international medical graduate
- MD: doctor of medicine
- U.S.: United States
Primary Data Sources
- The American Medical Association Physician Professional Data (AMA PPD) provided data for active physicians. The AMA PPD are updated annually from various sources, including a survey of physicians.
- Race and ethnicity are obtained from a variety of AAMC sources (e.g., the Electronic Residency Application Service®, the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®), the Medical College Admission Test® with priority given to the most recent, self-reported source.
- U.S. Census Bureau population estimates were used to calculate the number of physicians per 100,000 population. The U.S. population under 24 years of age was used to calculate the number of physicians per population for pediatric specialties [i.e., child and adolescent psychiatry, internal medicine/pediatrics, pediatric anesthesiology (anesthesiology), pediatric cardiology, pediatric critical care medicine, pediatric hematology/oncology, and pediatrics]. The U.S. population over age 60 was used to calculate the number of physicians per population in geriatric medicine.
- Undergraduate medical education (UME) enrollment data for MD-granting medical schools are obtained from the AAMC Student Records System. UME matriculant data for MD-granting medical schools are obtained from the AMCAS® program.
- UME enrollment data for DO-granting medical schools are obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s most recent Osteopathic Medical College Enrollment by Gender and Class report.
- Graduate medical education (GME) data are obtained from GME Track®, a resident database and tracking system. The Resident Roster in GME Track is an annual survey sponsored by the AMA and the AAMC.
Definitions
Note: The AMA PPD define gender as "male" or "female." Although limited to these categories within our analyses, we acknowledge sex and gender as fluid, nonbinary variables.
Active Physicians: Physicians licensed by one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered active, provided they work more than 20 hours per week. Physicians who are retired, semiretired, temporarily not in practice, inactive for other reasons, or have not completed their GME are excluded.
In 2014, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine began the process to become a single GME accreditation system in the United States. The transition to a single GME accreditation system was completed in 2020.
Active physicians include those working in direct patient care, administration, medical teaching, research, or other nonpatient-care activities. Active physicians include those with an MD or a DO degree. Physicians older than 101 years of age were excluded.
The location of the physician’s office was used to determine whether an active physician is in the United States. In cases where the physician’s office location was missing, the state from the preferred mailing address was used.
Unless otherwise stated, the term physicians refers to active physicians.
Direct Patient Care Physicians: This group is a subset of active physicians. It comprises only those physicians whose self-reported practice is direct patient care.
International Medical Graduate (IMG): An individual, including U.S. citizens, who graduated from a medical school outside the United States, Puerto Rico* , or Canada is considered an IMG. All IMGs must be certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and complete a residency training program in the United States to be eligible for licensure and practice in the United States. Canadian and Puerto Rican medical school graduates are not considered IMGs because they do not have to be certified by the ECFMG to enter a residency training program in the United States. Please note that although Canadian medical school graduates practicing in the United States are not considered IMGs or U.S. MDs, they are included in the totals for active physicians. Graduates of Puerto Rican medical schools are considered U.S. MDs.
U.S. DO: A physician who received their DO degree from a U.S. DO-granting school — including in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico* — accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
U.S. MD: A physician who received their MD degree from a U.S. medical school — including in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico* — accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Physician Retention: Physicians are considered retained from medical school if their office is located in the same state where their UME was completed. Physicians are considered retained from public medical school if their office is located in the same state where their public UME was completed. Physicians are considered retained from GME if their office is located in the same state where they completed their most recent residency or fellowship training. Physicians are considered retained from medical school and GME if their office is located in the same state where both their UME and most recent residency or fellowship training was completed.
*Prior to the 2020 Physician Specialty Data Report, physicians practicing in Puerto Rico were categorized as IMG.
Practice Specialties
This report presents data for the practice specialties with the largest number of active physicians, meaning more than 2,500 active physicians. Specialty designations for active physicians rely on the primary specialty selected by the physician on the Census of Physicians administered by the AMA. Specialty designations for residents and fellows reflect the training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in which the physician is training.
The AMA PPD list more than 200 specialty categories. To give a more comprehensive and informative view of the specialty category, we grouped some related specialties, as shown in the left column of the table below. Specialty groupings used in this report are indicated in the table below.
AAMC and AMA Specialty Groupings
Note: Letters in parentheses are the codes the AMA PPD use for self-designated practice specialties/areas of practice.
| AAMC Specialty | AMA PPD Specialties Included |
|---|---|
| Allergy and Immunology | Allergy (A) Allergy and Immunology (AI) Immunology (IG) |
| Anesthesiology | Anesthesiology (AN) |
| Cardiovascular Disease | Cardiovascular Disease (CD) |
| Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CHP) |
| Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology | Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology (ICE) |
| Clinical Neurophysiology | Clinical Neurophysiology (CN) |
| Critical Care Medicine | Critical Care Medicine (Internal Medicine) (CCM) Critical Care Medicine (Anesthesiology) (CCA) Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine (PCC) |
| Dermatology | Dermatology (D) |
| Emergency Medicine | Emergency Medicine (EM) |
| Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism | Diabetes (DIA) Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (END) |
| Family Medicine/General Practice | Family Medicine (FM, FP) General Practice (GP) |
| Gastroenterology | Gastroenterology (GE) |
| General Surgery | General Surgery (GS) |
| Geriatric Medicine | Geriatric Medicine (Internal Medicine) (IMG) Geriatric Medicine (Family Practice) (FPG) |
| Hematology and Oncology | Hematology (Internal Medicine) (HEM) Hematology/Oncology (HO) Medical Oncology (ON) |
| Hospice and Palliative Medicine | Palliative Medicine (PLM) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Anesthesiology) (HPA) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Radiology) (HPD) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Emergency Medicine) (HPE) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Family/General Practice) (HPF) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Internal Medicine) (HPI) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Physical Medicine & Rehab) (HPM) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Psychiatry & Neurology) (HPN) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Obstetrics & Gynecology) (HPO) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Pediatrics) (HPP) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Physical Medicine & Rehab) (HPR) Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Surgery) (HPS) |
| Infectious Disease | Infectious Disease (ID) |
| Internal Medicine | Internal Medicine (IM) |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | Internal Medicine/Pediatrics (MPD) |
| Interventional Cardiology | Interventional Cardiology (IC) |
| Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) |
| Nephrology | Nephrology (NEP) |
| Neurological Surgery | Neurological Surgery (NS) |
| Neurology | Neurology (N) |
| Neuroradiology | Neuroradiology (RNR) |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | Gynecology (GYN) Obstetrics (OBS) Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) |
| Ophthalmology | Ophthalmology (OPH) |
| Orthopedic Surgery | Orthopedic Surgery (ORS) |
| Otolaryngology | Otolaryngology (OTO) |
| Pathology | Since at least 2005, pathology has subspecialized rapidly. In collaboration with the College of American Pathologists, the AAMC conducted research in which the pathology workforce has been redefined to take into account its subspecialization. A new definition of pathologists, based on that research, is used in this report. For full details of the new pathology definition, please refer to the pathology table below AAMC Pathology Specialty Grouping. |
| Pain Medicine and Pain Management | Pain Medicine (APM, PMM, PMN, PMD) Pain Management (PME, PMP) |
| Pediatric Anesthesiology | Pediatric Anesthesiology (PAN) |
| Pediatric Cardiology | Pediatric Cardiology (PDC) |
| Pediatric Critical Care Medicine | Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (CCP) |
| Pediatric Hematology/Oncology | Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (PHO) |
| Pediatrics | Pediatrics (PD) |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM) |
| Plastic Surgery | Facial Plastic Surgery (FPS) Plastic Surgery (PS, PSI) Plastic Surgery Within the Head and Neck (PSH) |
| Preventive Medicine | Aerospace Medicine (AM) General Preventive Medicine (GPM) Occupational Medicine (OM) Public Health and General Preventive Medicine (PHP, MPH) |
| Psychiatry | Addiction Medicine (ADM) Addiction Psychiatry (ADP) Psychiatry (P) Psychoanalysis (PYA) Psychosomatic Medicine (PYM) |
| Pulmonary Disease** | Pulmonary Disease (PUD) |
| Radiation Oncology | Radiation Oncology (RO) |
| Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology | Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Radiology (R) |
| Rheumatology | Rheumatology (RHU) |
| Sports Medicine | Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) (ESM) Sports Medicine (Family Practice) (FSM) Sports Medicine (Internal Medicine) (ISM) Sports Medicine (Pediatrics) (PSM) Sports Medicine (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) (PRS) |
| Sports Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery) | Sports Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery) (OSM) |
| Surgical Critical Care (Surgery) | Surgical Critical Care (Surgery) (CCS) |
| Thoracic Surgery | Thoracic Surgery (TS, TSI) Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS) |
| Urology | Urology (U) |
| Vascular and Interventional Radiology | Vascular and Interventional Radiology (VIR) |
| Vascular Surgery | Vascular Surgery (VS, VSI) |
**In the late 1980s, pulmonary disease began to evolve into what is now known as pulmonary critical care. The decrease in physicians in this specialty is likely due to pulmonary critical care replacing pulmonary disease.
AAMC Pathology Specialty Grouping
Since at least 2005, pathology has subspecialized rapidly. In collaboration with the College of American Pathologists, the AAMC conducted research in which the pathology workforce has been redefined to take into account its subspecialization. A new definition of pathologists, based on that research, is used in this report. The definition given in the table below is based on the primary specialty code and secondary specialty code for each physician in the AMA PPD.
| AMA Physician Professional Data Primary Specialties Included | AMA Physician Professional Data Secondary Specialties Included |
|---|---|
| Dermatopathology (DMP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Cytopathology (PCP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Neuropathology (NP) Other Specialty (OS) Unspecified (US) |
| Forensic Pathology (FOP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (BBK) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Cytopathology (PCP) Dermatopathology (DMP) Neuropathology (NP) Pediatric Pathology (PP) Unspecified (US) |
| Neuropathology (NP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Cytopathology (PCP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Pediatric Pathology (PP) Other Specialty (OS) Unspecified (US) |
| Molecular Genetic Pathology (Pathology) (MGP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Dermatopathology (DMP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Neuropathology (NP) Unspecified (US) |
| Cytopathology (PCP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (BBK) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Dermatopathology (DMP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Other Specialty (OS) Selective Pathology (SP) Unspecified (US) |
| Pediatric Pathology (PP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (BBK) Chemical Pathology (PCH) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Medical Microbiology (MM) Neuropathology (NP) Other Specialty (OS) Unspecified (US) |
| Selective Pathology (SP) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Chemical Pathology (PCH) Dermatopathology (DMP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Neuropathology (NP) Other Specialty (OS) Pediatric Pathology (PP) Unspecified (US) |
| Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (BBK) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Chemical Pathology (PCH) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Cytopathology (PCP) Hematology (Pathology) (HMP) Molecular Genetic Pathology (Pathology) (MGP) Other Specialty (OS) Pediatric Pathology (PP) Unspecified (US) |
| Clinical & Laboratory Immunology (Internal Medicine) (ILI) | Clinical Pathology (CLP) |
| Medical Microbiology (MM) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Other Specialty (OS) Unspecified (US) |
| Other Specialty (OS) | Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (BBK) Clinical Pathology (CLP) Cytopathology (PCP) Forensic Pathology (FOP) Medical Microbiology (MM) Neuropathology (NP) Selective Pathology (SP) |
| Unspecified (US) | Anatomic/Clinical Pathology (PTH) Anatomic Pathology (ATP) Clinical Pathology (CLP) |