Doctors have always been considered one of the most prestigious professions in the United States. He is on par with lawyers and political leaders. Doctors are usually considered pillars of their communities. From the beginning to the end of our lives we spend a lot of time with our doctor. It would make sense to want to know that there will always be enough to cover all Americans. With the addition of millions of previously uninsured Americans thanks to new healthcare reform, the looming threat of doctor shortages is real, and perhaps a threat to which we may have no real answer. There are currently about 350,000 primary care physicians in the United States, and the university association says we will need at least 45,000 more by 2020. However, in recent years the number of medical students enrolling in family medicine has actually decreased. (Staline, Wang) CNBC's Mark Koba says the U.S. is estimated to have a shortage of about 16,000 primary care physicians. This leaves around 55 million people without a doctor or with difficulty finding one. He goes on to argue that one reason for the shortage is the aging of doctors and their patients. He says nearly half of doctors are approaching retirement age, working fewer hours and seeing fewer patients. According to CNN's Jen Christensen who spoke with Dr. Ryan A. Stanton of Georgetown Community Hospital, Dr. Stanton is worried that the influx of "Obamacare" patients could crash the system. Although Dr. Stanton sees trauma in the emergency room, many of the patients he sees are not emergencies. "People go to the emergency room because they have nowhere else to go after work hours or don't have access to an adequate primary car level...... middle of paper ...... and News Network , October 2, 2013. Web. October 23, 2013Koba, Mark. “Doctor Shortage Is Worsening,” CNBC, March 13, 2013. Web Robert Pear. “Too Many Doctors in Many U.S. Communities.” The New York Times, July 29, 2012. Web, October 23, 2013 Pericak, Arlene "Greater Autonomy for Nurses Practitioners as a Solution to the Problem." .New York State Nurses Association. Web. October 24, 2013Sataline, Suzanne and Shirley S. Wang "Medical Schools Can't Keep Up." Web. November 3, 2013.Ubel, Peter." Solve the primary care physician shortage by turning primary care physicians into anesthesiologists" Forbes magazine. February 18, 2013. Web. November 3. 2013.