The Healthcare Staff Shortage in the United States

Introduction

You might have seen the sentence “Not all heroes wear capes” somewhere in your neighborhood. This simple yet powerful phrase is more true than it seems.

Imagine going out with friends to a fancy restaurant. Everyone’s having fun until one friend realizes they’re allergic to the seafood! You rush them to the hospital… but no one is there.

What do you do?

Or this scenario:

Your wife is nine months pregnant, and the baby is coming any minute. You try to get her to the hospital, but there aren’t any doctors available to help deliver the baby.

Finally, consider a pandemic: millions fall ill as a deadly virus spreads. Everyone is anxious, sick, and in need of care, yet there aren’t enough medical workers to help.

Healthcare workers are a privilege we often take for granted. From giving scared toddlers vaccines to performing life-saving operations, medical professionals keep society healthy and alive. Unfortunately, the U.S. doesn’t have enough workers to meet every medical need. Why?

Limited Seats in Medical Schools

The medical field will never fall short of interested applicants. One of the major issues comes down to the limited number of spots in medical schools. According to MedEdits, the number of applicants versus matriculants from 2019–2024 shows acceptance rates around 42%, while the average acceptance rate at individual allopathic schools is only 5.5%.

• MD Applicants: 2019: 52,777 | 2020: 53,369 | 2021: 53,030 | 2022: 62,443 | 2023: 55,189 | 2024: 51,946

• MD Matriculants: 2019: 21,622 | 2020: 21,869 | 2021: 22,239 | 2022: 22,666 | 2023: 22,710 | 2024: 23,156

Fun Fact: Allopathic medical schools teach traditional, mainstream Western medicine. Factors influencing acceptance include school popularity, number of applications, geography, GPA, test scores, personal essays, and staff-to-patient ratios.

Staff-to-Patient Ratio

“The most important KPI in healthcare is the staff-to-patient ratio. It’s not just about numbers, it’s about ensuring that patients receive the best possible care and attention.” – Dr. Atul Gawande

A staff to patient ratio directly determines the quality of care a patient will receive. This is because the number of patients a medical worker has determines how much time they can spend caring for each (Fathom 2025). A doctor with 8 patients won’t be able to care for their patients as thoroughly and carefully compared to a doctor with 4-5.

Benefits of a good staff-to-patient ratio:

• Reduces burnout and improves staff satisfaction

• Enhances patient care quality

• Improves patient safety

• Manages staffing costs

Nursing

Nurses are vital to healthcare, balancing multiple responsibilities each shift. They monitor patients, administer medications, advocate for patient needs, and maintain records. One wrong move can be life-threatening. But the fact of the matter is: a lot of nurses quit.

Fun Fact: Nurses walk around 4-5 miles in a single 12 hour shift! This is significantly more than what most people walk in a day.

Why Do Nurses Leave

• Challenging work environments

• Emotional distress

• Disappointment with job reality

• Hierarchy and discrimination

Other factors may include poor working conditions, lack of career development, and/or insufficient support

Healthcare Degrees & Burnout

• 13% of bachelor’s degrees (2019–2020) were in healthcare-related fields

• 36% of healthcare employees have an advanced degree

• 35% of nurses and 54% of physicians report burnout

Decline in Healthcare Workers

NIH reports workers leave due to burnout, limited training capacity, high stress, school enrollment challenges, and faculty shortages. COVID-19 worsened this strain but the workforce has since rebounded.

Final Thoughts

By understanding the importance of healthcare workers and addressing the challenges that drive them away, we can strengthen medical personnel, their patients, and our communities. Thank you for reading!

Written by Gabrielle B and researched by Keegan W

2025 The HEAL Project