Seniors’ numbers are growing, but doctors trained in geriatrics are not.

Note: Melissa Evans, a staff writer for the Daily Breeze website, is writing an ocassional series about how the Baby Boomers will affect the Los Angeles region as they age. And while her article focuses locally, the issues certainly are much wider.

With about 70 million Americans set to reach retirement age over the next 20 years, plenty of doctors who specialize in aging will be needed, Evans writes.

But experts see a shortage in the making. Nationwide, there are only 7,100 doctors certified in geriatrics – one for every 2,500 Americans over 70, Evans reports. The Institute of Medicine estimates the country will need an additional 30,000 doctors trained in the field to meet the needs of the aging baby boomer population.

Getting there will be tough. According to a recent report by the Public Policy Institute, an independent research association, just three of the nation’s 145 medical schools have a full-time program in geriatrics, Evans reports. Less than 3 percent of all medical students take even one course in this specialty, according to the report.

But doctors-in-training have little incentive to specialize in geriatrics. One 2007 compensation survey finds that geriatric physicians make an average of $177,392 a year, compared with $193,162 for a general internist.

In addition to making less money, these doctors tend to have to work longer hours, Evans writes.

Fortunately, not all of the country’s medical students are deterred, and you can read her article to learn about some of the most dedicated.

– Lori Woehrle