Physician Specialty Choice under Uncertainty

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2002
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Pages: 816-847

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Medical students must receive residency training in a specialty before they can practice medicine in the United States. Since the residents' salaries do not adjust across specialties, residency positions are rationed, and medical students face uncertainty when choosing a specialty. Using a data set with the preferred and realized specialties for 7,200 medical students, I estimate a model where students consider entry probabilities when selecting a specialty. I find that medical students are responsive to expected income differences between specialties, which implies that policies that increase the income of primary care physicians can address shortages in these specialties.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:v:20:y:2002:i:4:p:816-847
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26