Abstract
Objectives Retirement of “baby boomer” physicians is a matter of growing concern in light of
the shortage of certain physician groups. The objectives of this investigation were
to define what constitutes a customary retirement age range of maternal–fetal medicine
(MFM) physicians and examine how that compares with other obstetrician–gynecologist
(ob-gyn) specialists.
Study Design This descriptive study was based on American Medical Association Masterfile survey
data from 2010 to 2014. Data from the National Provider Identifier were used to correct
for upward bias in reporting retirement ages. Only physicians engaged in direct patient
care between ages 55 and 80 years were included. Primary outcomes involved comparisons
of retirement ages of male and female physicians with other ob-gyn specialties.
Results Interquartile ranges of retirement ages were similar between specialists in MFM (64.1–71.1),
gynecologic oncology (62.1–68.9), reproductive endocrinology and infertility (64.1–71.7),
and general ob-gyn (61.5–67.9). In every specialty, women retired earlier, while males
in MFM were most likely to retire at the oldest age (median 70.0).
Conclusion MFM physicians usually retired from clinical practice between ages 64 and 71 years,
which is similar to other ob-gyn specialists. Females retired earlier, however, which
may impact the overall supply as more females pursue MFM careers.
Keywords
age - clinical practice - retirement - maternal–fetal medicine
