Whitener interviewed by Fox News on shortage of infectious diseases specialists across U.S.

Cynthia Whitener, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine, shared her expertise regarding the importance of infectious diseases (ID) specialists in the U.S. in a recent interview with Fox News.

Whitener discussed the dire shortage of ID specialists by calling attention to the critical need for ID physician access across the U.S. and highlighted both the current and predicted shortages of ID specialists. She also noted that there are fewer numbers of doctors pursuing ID as a specialty.

Whitener and other ID leaders in the field gave an overview of the complex reasons behind this shortage, including relatively low compensation, long hours and associated burnout that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whitener also stressed the crucial role of ID physicians as demonstrated by the pandemic and international mpox outbreak, as well as their repeatedly demonstrated value in patient care outside of the pandemic setting.

Read the full story by Fox News

If you're having trouble accessing this content, or would like it in another format, please email the Penn State College of Medicine web department.