UF Health Endocrinology – Medical Specialties – Medical Plaza - UF Health (2024)

FAQs

Why is it so hard to get in with an endocrinologist? ›

The reasons for this national shortage of diabetes specialists are manifold: Endocrinologists receive the lowest compensation of all internal medicine (IM) specialties — lower even than practicing general internists — and 76–89% of medical students graduate with astronomical debt.

Becoming an endocrinologist requires a significant amount of education and training—it takes about 14 years to become a full fledged endocrinologist! The journey to becoming an endocrinologist can be challenging, as it is a specialized field that requires a deep understanding of complex medical conditions.

Although endocrinology is not considered as competitive as gastroenterology, cardiology or oncology, it falls within the category of a medium-tier competitive specialty.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The seven specialties include neurology and neurosurgery (33rd), ear, nose and throat (35th), urology (38th), obstetrics and gynecology (41st), geriatrics (43rd), orthopedics (46th), and pulmonology and lung surgery (48th).

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic conditions. An endocrinologist can specialize in the treatment of different kinds of diabetes and other metabolic conditions such as obesity. Thyroid disease: Many conditions can affect your thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck.

"It used to be common for doctors to look at the hands for important clues to overall health," says endocrinologist Kenneth Blanchard. “Hands can tell you a great deal about circulation, hormones, and thyroid function."

Neurosurgery is often considered one of the most demanding and competitive specialties in medicine. This field involves the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the brain, spine, and nervous system. Neurosurgeons may treat everything from brain tumors and aneurysms to spinal cord injuries and congenital defects.

Never more so than today, the forecasted widening gap of demand–supply between 2010 and 2020 proved both accurate and alarming. A more recent analysis projects that, in the absence of any intervention, the shortage of adult endocrinologists will increase to ~2700 by 2025 (4).

Easiest Doctor to Become: Family Doctor

The simple answer is that it takes the least amount of time. After your four years at medical school, (or a 3-year medical school) you can do a three-year family medicine residency, pass your board exams, and that's it, you're a doctor!

The least competitive residencies, like Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, offer more positions and focus on holistic, long-term care. These fields are essential for community health, and their comprehensive nature makes them accessible to a wider range of residency candidates.

Why is UF so highly ranked? ›

The academic opportunities such as research is unmatched, and there are many faculty who are eager to work with students. For In-State and Out-Of-State students, UF is truly a best value university to attend. You will get a top tier education at a phenomenal tuition rate.

UF Health is the Southeast's most comprehensive academic health center and part of the University of Florida, one of the nation's Top 10 public research universities.

In “2023-2024 Best Colleges" released Monday by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Florida is in a three-way tie for sixth with California-Davis and California-San Diego. For two years, UF was fifth including a tie with North Carolina at Chapel Hill last year.