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T M C » P U L S E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 37 Make this Fall a season for living life on your terms. Licensed chiropractors at The Joint help provide pain relief and preventative care, so you can live life to the fullest. Chiropractic can help with back and neck pain, joint discomfort, allergies, migraines and more. Stop by a clinic today! NEW PATIENT SPECIAL Consultation | Exam | Adjustment S 39 Value RELIEF RECOVERY WELLNESS ® No Appointments | No Insurance Needed | Open Evenings & Weekends *Offer valued at $39. Valid for new patients only. See clinic for chiropractor(s)' name and license info. Clinics managed and/or owned by franchisee or Prof. Corps. Restrictions may apply to Medicare eligible patients. Individual results may vary. © 2018 The Joint Corp. All Rights Reserved. West U (713) 588-0858 | thejoint.com 3177 W. Holcombe Blvd. Houston, TX 77025 ))1*+0$!.,5Ų"+.Ų *"!0%+1/Ų %/!/!/ųŲ+*"!.!*! November 12–14, 2018 Galveston, TX, USA For more information: idimmunotherapy.com have perspective and know history and the human mistakes of yore." Intergenerational learning also offers tangible benefits to younger physicians immersed in technology, said Kass, who is also Baylor's asso- ciate dean of Student Affairs. "There is an art to medicine that does get lost because of technol- ogy," he said. "Technology is great— we want the imaging, we want all of these things to diagnose better, but there is still the laying of hands on a patient and being able to take a really good history. Those are the things we stand to lose." Managing patient expectations The AAMC estimates a shortfall of between 14,800 and 49,300 primary care physicians by 2030. "Part of the problem with that is that we still have a relative deficit of primary care physicians," Fedson said. "We have made up some of that with the wider acceptance of physician extenders—the use of well-trained nurse practitioners and physician assistants to help, but I think the impending shortages of physicians will mean that it will probably be more difficult to do some things." Certainly, patients will need to be more realistic about where they receive their care. "Part of the expectation in this country is that 'I have a right to see whatever specialist I want to.' So patients think if you have joint pain, you should go see an orthopedic surgeon. That is not necessarily the case," Fedson said. "If you have joint pain, once you exclude trauma or break or anything mechanically wrong, you could see a physical therapist instead. That gatekeeper can be beneficial for patients and streamline appropriate care for patients with a dwindling number of subspecialists." Managing physician expecations Aside from the impact retiring baby boomers will have on the health care industry, it is worth considering what retirement will mean for physicians who have been prac- ticing for close to half a century. Physicians contemplating retire- ment should reflect on their hobbies and interests before making a move, Fedson said. "In medicine, we get positive reinforcement nearly every day. People thank you for what you do and while we don't explicitly need the thanks, I think everyone likes to know that what they are doing has value," she said. "You go from working in a field where you know, on some level, what you are doing makes a difference. And then not to have that, suddenly, can be very, very difficult from an emotional well-being standpoint." As long as aging physicians can complete their duties, Bass said, keeping them around and delaying retirement could be beneficial. "If their performance is strong and capable, let's figure out ways to keep them on board as opposed to ways to shut them down," Bass said. "We need capable, happy, healthy physicians that can provide care to our patients. As we look ahead to the anticipated shortage of physi- cians, if we can find a positive way to extend one's career—even on a part-time basis—that is going to be a good thing."

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