The Geographic Maldistribution of Neurologists

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Abstract
In recent years, evidence has been accumulating that an oversupply of practicing physicians, especially in some specialties, would become more severe during the next decade as those medical students and postgraduate trainees already in the pipeline complete their education and enter practice.1Along with an oversupply, a geographic maldistribution of many groups of specialists has been recognized, and a consensus is emerging that would seek a more rational manpower allocation, so that presently underserved segments of the population receive needed care.2Schwartz et al3and Newhouse et al4have studied the diffusion of physicians by community size in recent years and have demonstrated that more board-certified specialists are now practicing in smaller communities. One of the keystone questions in health manpower policy is whether the considerably wider availability of specialized services is always beneficial for the vast majority of patients.5In this context, little attention

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