According to the , North Carolina had 227 certified geriatricians in 2016. By 2030, the state is expected to need 931. Dr. Emily Cetrone, a clinical assistant professor and associate program director for the 黑料网 Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program says, 鈥淭he truth is that we won鈥檛 have enough geriatricians just based on the growing population of [older adults in] North Carolina,鈥� Cetrone said.
In 2023, the NC Office of State Budget Management reported there to be 1.8 million adults over age 65 in the state. The Office projects that number will increase to 2.7 million by 2040. However, the National Resident Matching Program states that less than half of the geriatric medicine fellowship spots were filled in 2025 across the nation.
Dr. Cetrone says one of the biggest challenges of geriatric medicine is the complexity of care associated with older people’s health. A second major challenge is that older adults need more caregivers. On top of those issues, finding the funds for type of care, especially home-based care, isn’t always easy.