The United States is grappling with a significant physician shortage in 2025, a challenge that will profoundly shape the experiences of today’s premeds, medical students, and early-career doctors. Recent data paint a sobering picture: the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 under current trends aamc.org. This gap is especially acute in primary care, where demand for services far outstrips supply.