Characterizing the general surgery workforce in Puerto Rico: A descriptive analysis of licensure, subspecialty distribution, and demographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND

Physician emigration has substantially reduced Puerto Rico's healthcare workforce. Comprehensive data characterizing the active general surgery workforce and surgeon-to-population ratios remain limited.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive analysis was performed using data from the Puerto Rico Medical Discipline and Licensure Board, supplemented by publicly available workforce sources.

RESULTS

Of 315 licensed surgeons, 291 (92.4%) were actively practicing in Puerto Rico, yielding a density of 8.86 per 100,000 population. This estimate overstates the effective general surgery workforce, as many surgeons reported subspecialty designations reflecting predominant subspecialty practice. A restrictive estimate of 188 surgeons yields 5.72 per 100,000, and a conservative estimate of 180 yields 5.48 per 100,000, below the U.S. benchmark of approximately 6 per 100,000. The workforce was predominantly male (83.2%); 66.3% were licensed before 2000. Among surgeons with a recorded location, 87.2% practiced in metropolitan areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Puerto Rico's effective general surgery density is lower than licensure counts suggest and may fall below the U.S. national average. A centralized database is urgently needed to guide workforce planning and health policy.