Physician Spotlight
Meet Gregory Aran, DO, Internal Medicine Physician at Dignity Health Medical Group and Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS) Board Director, discusses the future of primary care.
From Print Issue - Winter 2023
Q: How would you describe the current state of primary care for patients? Do you think patients care being seen by mid-level practitioners instead of physicians?
A: The current state of primary care in Arizona and frankly all of across the country in one word is understaffed. Primary Care Providers (PCPs) are working more hours, having to see more patients than ever before and are under more scrutiny than ever before. On top of this, the PCP shortage has not been adequately addressed and future models show it is only going to get worse, possibly much worse without incentives to attract future PCPs.
I do think patients care and notice the difference between a MD/DO primary care doctor vs a nurse practitioner or other mid-level providers. They simply do not undergo the same rigorous training that fosters a way of clinical thinking and judgment that a traditional four year medical school and three or four year residency provides. The continued rise of mid-level providers and in many instances replacing MD or DO PCPs will be an ongoing concern moving forward. With the rise of mid-level providers replacing MD/DO PCPs, this will continue to be an ongoing concern going forward.
Q: You went to an osteopathic school instead of an allopathic school for medicine, do you see any advantages that have helped you as an internal medicine physician?
A: Absolutely. I consider ‘form and function’ with nearly every disease process and how it relates to my patient’s current problems. Not to say allopathic schools don’t, it is just not as stressed or taught the same as osteopathic schools are. However, both degrees undergo the same rigorous credentialling and licensing in many cases so there are more similarities than differences nowadays.
"I would recommend careful, thoughtful consideration of the type of lifestyle they would like to live and knowledge of the difficulties that are ever increasing in the primary care field."
Q: You recently began your medical career in internal medicine. What have you seen so far that you would recommend younger physicians like residents/medical students learn before getting into primary care?
A: I would recommend careful, thoughtful consideration of the type of lifestyle they would like to live and knowledge of the difficulties that are ever increasing in the primary care field. Quality primary care physicians are crucial for overall patient health and preventing progression of disease or the start of diseases all together. These quality physicians must know the rules of the game they play in and the challenges the field brings in order to best serve their patients.
Q: What changes are needed to encourage more medical students and residents to go into primary care?
A: Unfortunately, health systems are lagging in recognizing that PCPs are an essential component of in-patient health. Understaffed and underpaid, the average age of a PCP in America is rising, and we have a whole generation of older physicians who are nearing retirement without adequate replacements in line.
Wages need to be increased, the number of physicians per clinic needs to be increased for the PCP role to be appealing going forward, it is as simple as that. Until that happens, we can’t expect new physicians to be attracted to the field.