The dramatic increase in the number of physicians since the 1970s is largely due to.

Question

Options

• AThe decrease in strenuous licensing requirements
• BThe shortage of Physician Assistants
• CThe increase of non-primary care specialists
• DNone of the above

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  2% (1)
• C
  95% (58)
• D
  2% (1)

Explanation

Option C is correct because since the 1970s, medicine has undergone a massive expansion of specialties and subspecialties - fields like cardiology, oncology, radiology, and neurology grew substantially, multiplying the total physician headcount even as the proportion of primary care doctors declined. This specialization boom, driven by advances in medical technology and research, is the primary engine behind the surge in physician numbers.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is wrong because licensing requirements have not decreased - medical boards have maintained or even strengthened standards over this period.
• B is wrong because Physician Assistants are a separate mid-level workforce; their shortage would not cause physician numbers to rise, and the two categories are tracked independently.

Memory tip: Associate the 1970s physician boom with the phrase "sub-specialize to multiply" - every new specialty created demand for a new class of physicians, stacking headcount far beyond what primary care alone could explain.

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