Massachusetts faces a deepening shortage of primary care physicians, as current doctors approach retirement and newcomers choose specialties over general care.
Amid several efforts to increase the supply, one approach now before lawmakers was shaped by an Arlington doctor.
“The problem is: If I am graduating from medical school and I want to become a primary care doc, maybe I might get offered around $250,000 a year, which is a fine salary, no one is complaining about it,” said Dr. Wayne Altman. “But I could become a cardiologist and make $500,000 a year.”
