The Neurology Workforce in American Medicine: Physicians, Physician Associates, and Nurse Practitioners.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to establish a census of neurology clinicians by demographic and geographic points of care. Neurology clinicians include physicians, physician associates (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs).

METHODS

Veeva OpenData, a comprehensive database of healthcare professionals typically licensed by pharmaceutical companies for commercial, field medical, and clinical activities, served as the data source. Information accessed from Veeva OpenData included the demographics of neurology clinicians and secondary specialties.

RESULTS

The Veeva OpenData neurology workforce cohort includes 24,950 licensed clinicians across the United States and its territories as of March 2025. This group comprises 20,196 physicians, 1,502 PAs, and 3,252 NPs. These 3 groups differ in their geographic distribution, urban-rural setting, and gender distribution. Regarding sex, physicians were predominantly male (65.26%), whereas PAs and NPs included substantially lower proportions of men (13.58% and 6.12%, respectively).

DISCUSSION: This study provides an overview of the current neurology workforce that is more granular and exceeds the detail of traditional sources, including the American Academy of Neurology and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further research is required to assess the demand for neurology services and model future workforce needs, particularly for PAs and NPs.