South Carolina Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags patient demand nationally and across South Carolina. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
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The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.
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South Carolina is projected to be short 3,230 doctors by 2030.
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 815 providers.3
![South Carolina ranks in the bottom half of states in the country](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/South-Carolina-bottom-half-stats.png)
South Carolina ranks in the bottom half of states in the country in the availability of primary care doctors and general surgeons and for physician supply overall.4
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/23-percent-decrease-in-US.png)
South Carolina’s physician to patient ratio is 23 percent worse than the national average.
59% worse for infectious disease medicine
68 worse in pediatric critical care medicine
28% worse in preventive medicine
33% worse in psychiatry
Louisiana Physician Shortage Facts