Brasília – A new analysis highlights an urgent shortage of medical specialists in Brazil’s public health system. With over 260,000 general practitioner doctors—nearly half of the total active physicians—the gap is worsened by a deficit of about 9,500 medical residency slots in 2023 alone, according to the preliminary findings of the Medical Demography in Brazil 2025 report.

In 2022, approximately 25,500 doctors graduated, but only 16,000 residency positions were available in 2023. Eduardo Teixeira, president of Abramepo, argues that this limitation severely impacts access to specialized care under SUS, especially in remote areas. He also pointed out that many physicians have undergone postgraduate lato sensu programs instead of medical residencies, yet are not recognized as specialists by official boards. Abramepo advocates for the formal recognition of these postgraduate pathways, supported by rigorous quality standards and regulated by MEC, the Ministry of Education, and health authorities.

Source: Medicina S/A

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