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Ongoing Issues in Physician Recruitment

The latest Physician and Provider Recruitment Benchmarking Report from the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment (AAPPR) reveals some alarming trends in the healthcare recruitment landscape. As healthcare organizations grapple with declining budgets and increasing demands, the challenges associated with physician and advanced practice provider (APP) recruitment continue to mount.

Key Findings from the 2026 Report

According to the report released on September 16, 2026, recruitment teams in the U.S. managed to keep search volumes stable in 2025 despite a slight drop from previous years. Organizations undertook an average of 100 searches in 2025, compared to a peak of 115 searches in 2023. The individual recruiter’s burden was also significant, with a median of 36.5 searches managed per recruiter, a figure that has remained almost unchanged from 35.6 in 2024.

Yet, amidst these efforts, recruitment budgets have taken a hit — the average annual budget for internal physician recruitment departments decreased by 7.4% year on year, from $553,376 in 2024 to $512,500 in 2025. This budget reduction may serve to intensify the challenge of meeting recruitment needs with limited resources.

The Physician Shortage Reality

Carey Goryl, CEO of AAPPR, expressed deep concern regarding the implications of these trends, stating, "We're observing the physician shortage evolve from a concern to a reality." As this situation progresses, patients can expect longer wait times for essential healthcare services unless significant changes are made in physician training and recruitment strategies. High-demand specialties, such as cardiology, urology, and gastroenterology, are becoming increasingly difficult to fill, underscoring the urgent need for action.

Recruitment Timelines

While the recruitment timelines for APPs have shown improvement, with the average time to fill APP roles decreasing from 80 days in 2024 to 65 days in 2025, physician searches are still notoriously protracted. The average time to fill a physician position is a staggering 119 days, with some specialties taking even longer; endocrinology and metabolism positions took an average of 321 days to fill. The reality is that even after a contract is signed, the overall hiring process extends with credentialing, licensing, and onboarding, pushing the start date to an average of 229 days post-job posting.

Demand by Specialty

In 2025, the breakdown of physician searches by specialty highlights the pressing need for Family Medicine, which comprised 11.6% of all searches, followed closely by Hospital Medicine at 10.9% and general OB/GYN at 6.6%. Unfortunately, the share of open searches continues to grow — by the end of 2025, half of physician searches were still unfilled, increasing from 49% in 2024 and 47% in 2023. Comparatively, 31.8% of APP searches remained open at the same time.

Specialties in Need of Attention

Several specialties are proving particularly tough to staff. By the conclusion of 2025, only 28.3% of urology searches had been successfully filled, while around one-third of searches for neurology and cardiology also remained unfilled. Fields like anesthesiology and gastroenterology faced similar challenges, with less than half of the positions closed.

Conclusion

The data compiled within the AAPPR report serves as an essential tool for healthcare organizations striving to enhance their recruitment strategies. It provides critical benchmarks for assessing recruitment performance and workforce planning. AAPPR's mandate is to support healthcare organizations as they confront these mounting challenges. The association advocates for increased awareness and resource allocation to effectively navigate the evolving recruitment landscape.

To purchase the complete 2026 AAPPR Physician and Provider Recruitment Benchmarking Report, or to learn more about additional resources and insights, visit AAPPR’s official website.

AAPPR continues to serve as a crucial ally in addressing clinical workforce shortages while promoting equitable access to care. Through strategic partnerships and ongoing support for recruitment professionals, AAPPR is committed to strengthening healthcare systems nationwide.