Forbes.com - The Worst-Paying Jobs for Doctors

An article from Forbes.com regarding the disparity in pay between primary care physicians and specialists: physician employment. This article also discussed student loans which are posing a potential burden on physicians who enter the workforce. Some of the salary data which I've observed myself in the field is even lower than the amounts cited in the article: "At $180,000 for pediatricians and $175,000 for family practitioners, primary care providers make an awful lot less than the typical orthopedic surgeon, who makes $519,000, or a urologist, who earns $400,000, according to the Merritt Hawkins data. That disparity has contributed to a serious shortage of primary care doctors. The American Medical Association predicts a shortage of 35,000 to 40,000 primary care physicians by 2025." Much of the same information regarding physician pay and physician supply has been covered in a variety of media outlets. From my perspective, all of this information is interesting to note as it relates to the value of physician practices. I see truth to these concerns but the overall doom-and-gloom which is preached when it comes to the appraisal of medical clinics is blown out of proportion (in my opinion). There is such a wide range of variation as it relates to specific practices and regions that it's impossible to apply these broad observations of american healthcare to every practice in this country. That's where an appraiser's competency plays a role in determining the degree to which these variables apply to the specific project.