A nationwide shortage of primary care physicians is expected to become more severe as millions of additional people become insured in coming years through the national health care reform law.

Here is a look at the numbers:


The nation will need 45,000 additional primary care doctors within 7 years, including 2,000 or more in California.



Many medical students graduate with student loan debt of $150,000 to $300,000, making it harder to choose primary care over the higher pay of many specialties.

