Chief, division of vascular neurology, professor of neurology, University of Utah

Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS

“The 10 neurologists who wrote this paper, all of us were [only] a little unaware of how bad the problem was, until we started digging into the data. And then, through this program we were in, we would meet every month, and we started sharing stories about what we were doing individually to help improve it. That’s when we became aware that there are the small steps that each of us can make.”

The ongoing shortage of neurologists in the US is an area of concern, especially due to the aging population and their increased risk of developing neurologic diseases and conditions. Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS, chief of the division of vascular neurology and professor of neurology at the University of Utah, discussed a recent report commissioned by the American Academy of Neurology, entitled “A Shortage of Neurologists – We Must Act Now,” which she authored alongside 9 colleagues.

 about what current neurologists and specialists can do to address the shortage, Majersik suggested speaking to medical students about neurology, and “putting your best face forward” by expressing a love of the field. Piquing interest early on and highlighting how fulfilling a career in the neurosciences is may also be helpful, she said, particularly if invited to speak or present at a high school. Speaking to administrations within the health care field or academic institutions is another area of opportunity, whether that is to ensure that neurologists are receiving fair compensation or to fund educational opportunities for team members. 

Majersik further commented on the importance of informing patients about the shortage of neurologists, as they too play a vital role in raising awareness, particularly through patient advocacy groups.

Majersik JJ, Ahmed A, Chen IA, et al. A shortage of neurologists – we must act now: A report from the AAN 2019 transforming leaders program. 

. 2021; 96(24). doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012111

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The division chief of vascular neurology at the University of Utah discussed the individual role that clinicians and neurologists can play to increase interest in the field of neurology. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Clinicians’ Role in Addressing the Neurologist Shortage: Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS

“It’s almost as if the more we looked, the more we saw that the AAN could do, but we also think that this is an effort that individual neurologists should play a role in, even outside of those organizational efforts, because some boots on the ground are really necessary.”

The shortage of neurologists is an ongoing issue, recently addressed in a report from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2019 Transforming Leaders Program. Entitled “A Shortage of Neurologists – We Must Act Now,” the paper was authored by 10 experts led by Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS, chief, division of vascular neurology and professor of neurology, the University of Utah. 

 on the shortage and the resultant report, commenting on the AAN’s role in increasing awareness, as the main professional organization in the United States for neurologists. Advocacy efforts are primarily conducted through BrainPAC, AAN’s federal political action committee, located in Washington, DC, but additional advocacy arms also assisting in efforts to address salary discrepancies and increase telemedicine within the field, Majersik said. 

One method to address the shortage of neurologists in real-time may be by incorporating advanced practice providers. According to Majersik, training nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, and other advanced practice providers, in the field of neurology can provide for more experts in the field, regardless of the “traditional MD pathway.” 

The director of the division of vascular neurology at the University of Utah discussed ongoing efforts from the AAN, as well as the potential to integrate advanced practice providers into neurology teams. 

How APPs and Organizations Can Address the Neurologist Shortage: Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS

“There is, unfortunately, still this misperception that neurologists don't have anything to do. There's this old adage—'you diagnose and adios'—nothing makes me madder than hearing that because it's just not true. You want to showcase what a fantastic field it is and what a difference we can make in people's lives, so that the younger generation sees it as a viable option for them [as a] field to go into.”

The nationwide shortage of neurologists persists as the field sees a concurrent growth in the patient population in need of care. Due to misperceptions, stigma, and salary concerns, the field of neurology has struggled to attract recent medical school graduates to pursue careers, when compared with more procedural-focused fields. 

Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS, chief, division of vascular neurology, and professor of neurology, University of Utah, commented on these factors, which she and colleagues addressed in a report entitled, “A Shortage of Neurologists – We Must Act Now,” from the AAN 2019 Transforming Leaders Program. Majersik further commented on the importance of fellowships, as hospitals have need for residents with specialty training. This can be of particular importance in rural communities, she said, as neurologists in those areas can bring unique experience and training to their patient populations.

Majersik JJ, Ahmed A, Chen IA, et al. A shortage of neurologists – we must act now: A report from the AAN 2019 transforming leaders program.

. 2021;96(24):1122-1134. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012111

The division chief of vascular neurology at the University of Utah discussed the misperceptions surrounding the field of neurology, as well as the importance of increasing fellowship training.  

Boosting Interest in Neurologic Medicine, Fellowships: Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS

“We've seen in some smaller papers that having access to a neurologist does improve patient care. It's one of the things that we've asked the AAN to consider, and whether this happens or not, I don't know, but we think it'd be great to have fellowships with funding in health services research looking at this specifically, so that we can better quantify the value that a neurologist brings to the patient. Because in the end, that's what we think we all do, is bring value to the bedside.”

Considering the ongoing shortage of neurologists in the United States, Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS, spoke with 

 on the contributing factors, namely an aging population as well as expansion of treatments for neurologic diseases creating a higher demand for care. Discussing a paper she coauthored alongside 9 colleagues, Majersik, who is chief of the division of vascular neurology and professor of neurology at the University of Utah, described the impact on the quality of patient care, which is lacking in concrete data. 

Patients and primary care providers are aware of new treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and migraine, increasing referrals to neurologists. Considering this, Majersik posited neurologists are “victims of our own success,” due to efforts in identifying effective treatments and resultant wait times. Not only are patients seeking these treatments, but data further shows that they benefit from seeing specialists as opposed to primary care providers, as those with Parkinson disease are less likely to experience falls and those with epilepsy experience fewer seizures and therefore less car accidents, Majersik said. 

. Published online April 30, 2021. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012111

The division chief of vascular neurology at the University of Utah discussed the driving force behind the national shortage of neurologists and its effect on patient care.  

Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS

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