Shreveport Faces Looming Doctor Shortage with Alarming Projections
Things don't look good in the medical world for Shreveport and north Louisiana over the next five years. A new report shows we could be facing a serious shortage of doctors. The Cicero Institute says Louisiana could be short almost 5,000 doctors by 2030.
It's not just a problem in the Bayou State. Physician shortages are sweeping the country. The southeast part of the country is facing the biggest impact of doctor shortages. Almost every parish in Louisiana will be struggling to find physicians.
The most critical area is in rural communities.
Several students talk about why they decided to attend medical school in Shreveport:
Where Are Louisiana's New Doctors Going?
This study shows only about half of all med school graduates in Louisiana stay in the state for their training. Of those who leave the state for training, most of them never return. One of the problems in recruiting students is the high cost of education. Student loan debt scares off some qualified students.
The latest data from the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport shows there were 4,434 applicants for the 2026 class. Staff conducted 325 interviews. That list was whittled down to a class of 150 students. 81% of those students get financial aid to attend medical school.
What Does the Nationwide Shortage Look Like?
This report shows the national shortage could be more than 120,000 by 2030. Part of the reason for that is almost 40% of current American physicians will reach retirement age. In Louisiana, nearly 33% of doctors are eligible to retire now.
60 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes are in doctor shortage areas.