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PubMed2006

Report of the 2005 STS Congenital Heart Surgery Practice and Manpower Survey.

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available concerning the congenital heart surgery workforce in North America. To obtain reliable data, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Workforce on Congenital Heart Surgery undertook a subspecialty focused survey. METHODS: Preliminary research of websites and databases revealed a potential target group of 263 congenital heart surgeons, including 248 surgeons at 121 US centers and 15 at eight Canadian sites. Surveys were sent to these, plus any additional individuals who listed an interest in congenital or pediatric heart surgery on CTSNet or STS websites. Responders include active congenital heart surgeons, inactive, or retired surgeons, adult cardiac surgeons, and surgeons in training. Analysis is based exclusively on the responses of 217 active congenital heart surgeons (>80% of target). RESULTS: Average age was 48.3 +/- 8.3 years (range, 33 to 78). Ten were female (5%), 207 male (95%). American Medical School graduates were 170 (79%), with 9.2 +/- 1.6 years of postgraduate training. Eighty-five percent are Thoracic Board certified. Congenital heart surgery training outside the United States or Canada was obtained by 29 (14%). One hundred twenty-eight (59%) do exclusively congenital heart surgery. One third perform fewer than 100 congenital cases per year, one third perform 100 to 199, and one third perform 200 or more. Congenital heart surgeons have been in their current positions for 9.5 +/- 8.2 years. Eleven are in their first year of practice. Mean anticipated years to retirement is 15.7 +/- 7.5 (range, 1 to 34). Three anticipate retirement within 1 year. At the same time, 39 fellows will complete postgraduate training at 28 centers this year, and 19 will seek positions in North America. CONCLUSIONS: These data should help to facilitate rational plans to meet manpower needs, including evolving policies concerning training and certification.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

A comparative systematic review of pharmacist education systems and pharmacy service quality in ASEAN-5: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore.

BACKGROUND: The global transition toward patient-centered pharmaceutical care has exposed structural disparities in ASEAN pharmacy workforce training and deployment. This review examines four research questions: how pharmacy education systems and accreditation standards differ across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore (collectively, the ASEAN-5); the extent to which pre-registration education influences clinical service scope and professional confidence; how education reform and regulatory change have shaped pharmacist clinical roles; and what barriers and enablers exist for regional qualification harmonization. METHODS: A systematic literature review following PRISMA 2020 was conducted. Searches of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, supplemented by grey literature, were completed in May 2026. Of 78 unique records screened, 46 studies published between 2005 and 2026 met inclusion criteria. Quality appraisal used an adapted Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool; synthesis employed narrative thematic analysis. RESULTS: The five countries represent four structurally distinct pharmacy education architectures: Thailand's standardized six-year Doctor of Pharmacy with dual specialization tracks; four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy programmes in Malaysia and the Philippines with institutional variation; Indonesia's clinically underdeveloped system despite rapid expansion; and Singapore's four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy followed by a nationally mandated one-year pre-registration pathway. Evidence links deeper clinical training to broader practice scope, higher confidence, and improved patient outcomes. Reform produced uneven results: Thailand's PharmD transition improved clinical recognition but exposed deployment paradoxes; Singapore achieved the strongest training-to-practice alignment; Indonesia's health insurance reforms were not absorbed by an underprepared workforce; the Philippines lacks a national competency framework. No binding mutual recognition arrangement was identified; divergent qualification structures, incompatible accreditation systems, and an asymmetric evidence base remain the primary barriers. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that clinical service scope is bounded less by national policy ambition than by the depth and clinical orientation of the pre-registration education that precedes it, and that credentialing reforms which outpace a health system's capacity to absorb new clinical roles, or the reverse, do not by themselves translate into expanded practice. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy education across the ASEAN-5 remains nationally distinct and clinically uneven. Clinical service scope is directly bounded by pre-registration education quality. No country has fully closed the education-practice gap. Regional harmonization requires national-level educational reform as a prerequisite.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Medical genetics and genomics residency programs: Trends in applications, match rates, and matriculation from 2015 to 2024.

PURPOSE: This report analyzes Medical Genetics and Genomics (MGG) training trends from 2015 to 2024. Understanding such trends is vital for developing targeted recruitment and workforce development initiatives. METHODS: Matriculation data from the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) and publicly available data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Main Residency and Specialty Matches were reviewed. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used to compare growth among MGG training pathways and to analyze trends. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2024, there has been a small, but not statistically significant, increase in the total number of individuals who have matched into categorical MGG, combined Pediatrics (Peds)-MGG, and combined Internal Medicine (IM)-MGG residency programs as a whole. This has been driven by an increase in the number of matches to combined Peds-MGG programs. Matriculation into training programs has exceeded the number of matches in categorical MGG as some positions have been filled outside of the NRMP Match. The average match rate for all applicants in categorical MGG (87%) has been higher than that for Peds-MGG (52%). CONCLUSION: Growth in applicants to combined programs and matriculation into residency programs after the NRMP Match has been promising; however, these increases are not enough to fulfill growing workforce demands.

Internship and Residency↗

PubMed2006

U.S. board-certified pain physician practices: uniformity and census data of their locations.

UNLABELLED: We determined the profiles of the board-certified pain physician workforce and the profiles of those residing near medical pain practices. Data from a mail survey of U.S. pain specialists were compared with U.S. Census data, and different settings and types of practices were contrasted. The 750 respondents (32.1%) were similar to the entire board-certified group in age, geographic distribution, and primary specialty. Although pain practices were underrepresented in rural areas, their prevalence was unrelated to other demographic data. Ninety-six percent of pain physicians treated chronic pain; 84% followed patients longitudinally; 31% worked in an academic environment; 50% had an interdisciplinary practice; and 29% focused on a single modality. Academics were more likely to be neurologists (P < .05) and to have had a pain fellowship (P < or = .0001). Modality-oriented practitioners were more likely to be anesthesiologists (P < or = .0001) and were less likely to follow patients with chronic pain longitudinally (P < or = .0001), provide training to fellows, prescribe controlled substances (P < or = .0001, respectively), or require an opioid contract (P < or = .01). Although boarded specialists learn from similar curricula and must pass a certifying examination, their practices vary considerably. Data are needed to further clarify the nature of workforce variation, its impact on patient care, and the role of other pain management clinicians. PERSPECTIVE: A survey of board-certified pain specialists reveals considerable variation in practice and a total number of specialists that is probably insufficient to meet the needs of the population with chronic pain. The location of pain management practices largely corresponds to census data, with the exception of underrepresentation in rural areas.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Retention of African-American students in baccalaureate nursing programs: are we doing enough?

With the increasing minority population in the United States, much attention has been given to the lack of diversity among health care professionals, specifically nursing. Since the 1960s, the federal government has provided financial resources to institutions of higher education whose purpose was to diversify the health care profession. Historically, these resources have supported initiatives that primarily focused on the recruitment of minority students into higher education. These efforts temporarily increased the enrollment of students from varying racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, without established retention initiatives in place, the attrition rates for students from diverse backgrounds far exceeded the enrollment rates. Consequently, the nursing workforce continues to be a predominantly White female profession. In order for schools of nursing to create a workforce reflective of its patient population, both nursing education and institutions of higher education must be committed to implementing initiatives to increase the retention and graduation rates of minority students.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2005

Specialist public health capacity in England: working in the new primary care organizations.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the capacity and development needs, in relation to key areas of competency and skills, of the specialist public health workforce based in primary care organizations following the 2001 restructuring of the UK National Health Service. STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire survey to all consultants and specialists in public health (including directors of public health) based in primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) in England. RESULTS: Participants reported a high degree of competency. However, skill gaps were evident in some areas of public health practice, most notably "developing quality and risk management" and in relation to media communication, computing, management and leadership. In general, medically qualified individuals were weaker on community development than non-medically qualified specialists, and non-medically qualified specialists were less able to perform tasks that require epidemiological or clinical expertise than medically qualified specialists. Less than 50% of specialists felt that their links to external organizations, including public health networks, were strong. Twenty-nine percent of respondents felt professionally isolated and 22% reported inadequate team working within their PCT or SHA. Approximately 21% of respondents expressed concerns that they did not have access to enough expertise to fulfil their tasks and that their skills were not being adequately utilized. CONCLUSIONS: Some important skill gaps are evident among the specialist public health workforce although, in general, a high degree of competency was reported. This suggests that the capacity deficit is a problem of numbers of specialists rather than an overall lack of appropriate skills. Professional isolation must be addressed by encouraging greater partnership working across teams.

England↗

PubMed2006

Specialist capacity in public health: are we hitting the target?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to audit specialist public health capacity in one strategic health authority (SHA), and to compare capacity with the targets suggested by the Faculty of Public Health (FPH). METHODS: A census of all public health specialists and specialists in training, working within the geographical boundary of one SHA, was performed in late 2004. The number of whole-time-equivalent (WTE) public health specialists was quantified using a variety of methods, including the public health network database, informal networks, existing written reports, personal knowledge and telephone interviews. The number of specialists was compared with the targets suggested by the FPH and with other regions. RESULTS: There were 12 WTE public health specialists per million population in the SHA, and the FPH's target was 25 WTE per million population. There was a particular shortage of specialists in academic public health. CONCLUSIONS: There was a marked shortfall in specialist public health capacity in the SHA compared with the FPH's targets. Comparisons with the FPH's targets were difficult; the FPA used WTE as the metric, while the local public health network database provided information in terms of numbers of specialists and WTE data were time consuming to obtain. Comparisons with other regions were of limited use as the workforce data were not comparable. The FPH's targets were found to have little resonance outside the world of specialist public health, and so are unlikely to be helpful in securing local investment in specialist public health capacity. The service needs to be marketed, and new ways of inter-organizational and collaborative working and of expanding the wider public health workforce need to be examined in order to deliver effective public health.

Career Choice↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human resources for health: overcoming the crisis.

In this analysis of the global workforce, the Joint Learning Initiative-a consortium of more than 100 health leaders-proposes that mobilisation and strengthening of human resources for health, neglected yet critical, is central to combating health crises in some of the world's poorest countries and for building sustainable health systems in all countries. Nearly all countries are challenged by worker shortage, skill mix imbalance, maldistribution, negative work environment, and weak knowledge base. Especially in the poorest countries, the workforce is under assault by HIV/AIDS, out-migration, and inadequate investment. Effective country strategies should be backed by international reinforcement. Ultimately, the crisis in human resources is a shared problem requiring shared responsibility for cooperative action. Alliances for action are recommended to strengthen the performance of all existing actors while expanding space and energy for fresh actors.

Africa↗

PubMed2002

A continuing educational initiative to develop nurses' mental health knowledge and skills in rural and remote areas.

At a time of ever increasing mental health problems in Australian society, the nursing profession is beset by problems of an insufficient workforce specialising in this area. Not only is there a shortage of suitable trained specialist mental health nurses, but undergraduate nursing programs inadequately prepare students for practical mental health nursing. Fewer students are enrolling in mental health nursing, and many nurses are leaving the workforce. A particular problem in rural Australia is that there is a lack of specialist mental health services, and nurses are being increasingly relied upon to perform the role of mental health nurse despite lacking the necessary qualifications and experience.This paper aims to describe the development, implementation and evaluation of a mental health continuing education program for nurses employed in rural and remote areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This was a collaborative educational initiative mounted by the NSW Health Department (who funded the project), a rural university and a number of regional health service partners. The paper includes information on how this program was conceived, developed and conducted through distance education mode. It also evaluates the efficacy of this program as perceived by 202 out of 303 participants. Overall the project was rated very favourably, and represents a cost-effective, convenient method of enabling rural and regional nurses to update and improve their skills in mental health nursing.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Dynamics of change in local physician supply: an ecological perspective.

The purpose of this study is to employ an ecological framework to identify factors that have an impact on change in local physician supply within the USA. A particular specialty type of patient care physicians in a local market is defined as a physician population. Four physician populations are identified: generalists, medical specialists, surgical specialists, and hospital-based specialists. Based on population ecology theory, the proposed framework explains the growth of a particular physician population by four mechanisms: the intrinsic properties of this physician population; the local market's carrying capacity, which is determined by three environmental dimensions (munificence, concentration, diversity); competition within the same physician population; and interdependence between different physician populations. Data at the level of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) were compiled from the US Area Resources File, the American Hospital Association Annual Surveys of Hospitals, the American Medical Association Census of Medical Groups, the InterStudy National HMO Census, and the US County Business Patterns. Changes in the number and percentage of physicians in a particular specialty population from 1985 to 1994 were regressed, respectively, on 1985-94 changes in the explanatory variables as well as their levels in 1985. The results indicate that the population ecology framework is useful in explaining dynamics of change in the local physician workforce. Variables measuring the three environmental dimensions were found to have significant, and in some cases, differential effects on change in the size of different specialty populations. For example, both hospital consolidation and managed care penetration showed significant positive eflects on growth of the generalist population but suppressing effects on growth of the specialist population. The percentage of physicians in a particular specialty population in 1985 was negatively related to change in the size of that specialty population between 1985 and 1994, suggesting the existence of competition. Overall, the findings of this study facilitate a better understanding of the complexity of physician workforce supply.

Catchment Area, Health↗

PubMed1999

The employment status of 1995 graduates from radiation oncology training programs in the United States.

PURPOSE: To quantify the employment status of 1995 graduates of radiation oncology training programs in the United States. METHODS AND MATERIALS: All senior residents (149) and fellows (36) who completed training in 1995 were mailed an employment survey questionnaire by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO). Telephone follow-up of nonrespondents achieved a 100% response rate. Twenty graduates who chose to continue training and five who returned to their home countries were removed from the study. Of the 160 who attempted to enter the U.S. workforce, 106 were men and 54 were women. Initial job status and job status at 6-8 months following graduation were determined. RESULTS: Unemployment was 6.9% at graduation and 4.4% at 6-8 months. Underemployment (part-time employment) was 10.6% at graduation and 11.9% at 6-8 months postgraduation. Of those working part-time 6-8 months after graduation, 63% (12 of 19) did so involuntarily after unsuccessfully seeking full-time employment. For the 20 graduates who chose to continue training with fellowships, seven (35%) did so solely to avoid unemployment, four (20%) were partially influenced by the job market, and nine (45%) were not influenced by the job market. Adverse employment search outcome was defined as being either unemployed as a radiation oncologist or involuntarily working part-time. Excluding those who chose to work part-time, a total of 19 (11.9%) graduates at 6-8 months following graduation, compared to 22 (13.8%) at graduation, were either unemployed or involuntarily working part-time. In terms of gender, this represented 18.5% (10 of 54) of females and 8.6% (9 of 105) of males. In terms of geographic restrictions in the job search, 56% of males and 70% of females with an adverse employment outcome limited their job search to certain parts of the country. This compares to 62% of all graduates in this study with geographic restrictions in their job search. In terms of perceptions of the workforce and employment opportunities, 95% of all graduates believed there was an oversupply of radiation oncologists and 95.5% believed the job market was worse than what they had anticipated on entering training. Only 42.8% of all graduates were satisfied with the job opportunities available to them. A significant number of private practice positions (41%) did not offer a partnership track, and those that did so had an increased median employment period before partnership (3.25 years) compared to previous years. CONCLUSION: This is the only employment survey for any specialty in which a 100% response rate was achieved. Upon graduation, a significant number of residents and fellows were either unemployed or involuntarily underemployed. The job market absorbed only a fraction of them at 6-8 months. Most graduates, including those employed full-time, were not satisfied with the practice opportunities available to them during their job search. Many private-sector jobs did not offer a partnership track, and those that did required an increased employment period. A higher rate of involuntary part-time employment was seen for female graduates. Geographic restrictions in job search alone could not account for graduates being unemployed or underemployed, and could not account for gender differences. An overwhelming majority of 1995 radiation oncology graduates believed that the job market had deteriorated and that there was an oversupply of radiation oncologists. As one of two major studies tracking the employment status of radiation oncology graduates, we believe this study to be superior in methodology. We also believe this study presents data in a manner useful to medical students, training program directors, and healthcare policymakers.

Employment↗

PubMed2004

Modeling the use of innovations in private treatment organizations: the role of absorptive capacity.

Few studies have identified the organizational characteristics that are associated with the transfer of research-based treatment techniques into practice. One potentially fruitful concept is absorptive capacity, referring to an organization's ability to seek and utilize information, which may be positively associated with the use of innovative treatment techniques. This paper examines the associations between an additive measure of innovation use and three measures of absorptive capacity: environmental scanning, collection of satisfaction data, and the level of workforce professionalism. Data from a nationally representative sample of 322 privately funded substance abuse treatment centers indicate that treatment organizations use a greater number of innovations when they engage in more environmental scanning, survey referral sources, and third party payers for satisfaction, and have a more professional workforce. These results indicate the importance of absorptive capacity in predicting organizational innovativeness.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2006

The implications of shortages of health professionals for maternal health in sub-saharan Africa.

This paper discusses the implications of shortages of midwives, nurses and doctors for maternal health and health services in sub-Saharan Africa, and inequitable distribution of maternal health professionals between geographic areas and health facilities. Shortages of health professionals reduce the number of facilities equipped to offer emergency obstetric care 24 hours a day, and are significantly related to quality of care and maternal mortality rates. Some countries are experiencing depletion of their workforces due to emigration and HIV-related illness. Another feature is the movement from public to private health facilities, and to international health and development organisations. The availability of skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care may be reduced due to understaffing, particularly in rural, poor areas. The existing workforce may experience increased workloads and job dissatisfaction, and may have to undertake tasks for which they are not trained. If governments and development partners are serious about reaching the Millennium Development Goal on maternal health, substantial numbers of professionals with midwifery skills will be needed. Shortages of maternal health professionals should be addressed within overall human resources policy. A rethink of health sector reforms and macro-economic development policies is called for, to focus on equity and strengthening the role of the state.

Africa South of the Sahara↗

PubMed2002

Why nurses are resigning from rural and remote Queensland health facilities.

This paper presents a selection of the results reported in the study "Factors Influencing the Recruitment and Retention of Rural and Remote Area Nurses in Queensland" (Hegney et al 2001). The main aim of this study was to determine why nurses in those rura and remote areas of Queensland that reported higher than State average turnover rates between February 1999 and May 2000, chose to leave their employment. The study therefore investigated the factors that influenced nurses' decisions to leave rural and remote area practice, the factors that influenced them to remain in practice and those factors nurses considered irrelevant to leaving or staying in rural/remote area nursing. This paper reports those factors the participants believed influenced them to leave rural and remote area nursing in Queensland. While the findings cannot be generalised to the Australian nursing workforce or to nurses not employed by Queensland Health, the study does confirm the findings of prev ous Australian research and formulates recommendations to assist future nursing workforce planning and policy.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Factors that influence the recruitment and retention of graduate nurses in rural health care facilities.

Rural nursing is a distinct practice and rural nurses in Australia constitute the largest group in the rural health workforce. However, the rural workforce is ageing and the turnover of nurses in rural areas is high. In addition, rural health services are experiencing recruitment and retention difficulties; very little is known about the recruitment and retention of new graduates nurses in rural health areas and the potential long-term investment they could offer to rural health services. A qualitative study explored the journey of transition for new graduate nurses employed in graduate nurse transition programs in northern New South Wales. This paper presents two major themes from the study that describe the factors that influenced the new graduate nurse to seek and accept a graduate nurse position within a rural health setting and the factors that influenced their retention. Findings indicate that previous connection with a rural area and positive experiences in a rural health care facility during undergraduate preparation were significant factors influencing the graduate nurses' decision to pursue a rural graduate nurse position. No guarantee of a permanent appointment upon completion of the graduate program, and graduates' disappointment with graduate nurse programs, were important factors influencing their retention within rural health care facilities.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2001

The MCH Certificate Program: a new path to graduate education in public health.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the MCH Certificate Program was threefold: to develop a new educational initiative in response to national and local demands for increased MCH workforce capacity, to eliminate key financial and nonfinancial barriers to advanced MCH academic preparation, and to improve rates of recruitment and retention of students from minority communities, thus enhancing the quality of MCH services available to the region. METHODS: An MCH Certificate Program, designed for clinicians (e.g., nurses, occupational therapists and nutritionists) and public health practitioners as a bridge to graduate programs in public health, combined a competency based curriculum with skills workshops, leadership seminars, mentoring, small group activities, and an interactive teaching format. RESULSTS: Students from the first two cohorts (n = 45) report an expansion of core public health knowledge (issues, policies, and strategies), enhanced self-confidence, and efficacy. Half have experienced job changes that represent increased responsibility, leadership, and professional advancement. A third are enrolled in or have completed a formal program of graduate study in MCH. CONCLUSIONS: This innovative MCH Certificate Program, now in its fourth year, is a new approach to increasing workforce capacity and a successful model of instruction for adult learners. It has the potential for adaptation to a variety of educational settings and MCH populations, and helps to expand the continuum of MCH training experiences in schools of public health.

Boston↗

PubMed2002

The training gap: an acute crisis in behavioral health education.

Changes in health care have outpaced changes in the educational programs offered to the behavioral health workforce. The result is a training gap that leaves graduate students, working professionals, and other direct care providers inadequately prepared for practice in the current health care environment. This article is based on a keynote address delivered at the Annapolis Conference on Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training. Major changes in health care are reviewed, followed by a description of the training gap as an acute crisis that impedes the delivery of effective and efficient mental health and addiction services. The author describes a national initiative to narrow the training gap and he calls for collective action by the varied groups and organizations that have a stake in this agenda.

Allied Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

Evidence-based teaching practice: implications for behavioral health.

Educational practices and strategies have changed very little over the years, and even emerging advances in technology have become the prisoners of traditional academic norms. Thus, while there is increasing emphasis on evaluating and aligning caregiving processes with the strongest evidence of effectiveness, there is little demonstration or role-modeling of this same expectation in either the formal or continuing educational processes of behavioral healthcare providers. This "disconnect" is a significant problem in the field. This paper addresses the urgent need to inform the education and training of the behavioral health workforce with current theories regarding the teaching-learning process and evidence about the effectiveness of various teaching strategies. The relevant theories and available bodies of evidence are described, and the implications for workforce education and training are identified.

Adult↗

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