Demand for psychiatrists in the United States is at an all-time high, according to an annual report tracking physician recruiting trends.
Prepared by Merritt Hawkins, the leading physician search firm in the U.S., the 2015 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives tracks the 3,120 physician and advanced practitioner recruiting assignments the firm conducted from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. Now in its 22nd year, the report indicates that Merritt Hawkins was retained to conduct more searches for psychiatrists in the prior 12 months than in any other similar period in its 27-year history. Psychiatrists trailed only primary care doctors on the list of the firm’s 20 most in-demand medical specialties.
“Psychiatrists are aging out of practice at a time when demand for their services is spiking,” said Travis Singleton, senior vice president of Merritt Hawkins. “Finding a psychiatrist willing to practice in an inpatient setting is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
