The healthcare industry in 2025 is a challenging space for physicians, who face significant administrative, financial and regulatory challenges.
However, there have still been numerous recent developments that support the expansion of the physician workforce and offer new pathways for viable independent practice.
Here are five things looking up for physicians:
1. Becker’s has reported on at least five new medical schools that were opened or announced this year with the goal of addressing the ongoing shortage of physicians in the U.S. This includes Bentonville, Ark.-based Alice L. Walton School of Medicine; Milpitas, Calif.-based Aria University; The Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Chicago School; Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine in Hagerstown, Md.; and Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
2. Direct primary care is one of several new models for independent practice being explored by physicians in 2025. The practice model is gaining momentum as physicians seek more autonomy and patients seek more direct access to care.
3. According to a study published in July by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which analyzed hospital acquisitions of physician practices between 2008 and 2016, the share of physician practices acquired by hospitals rose by 71.5% in that time frame. However, Zach Cooper, PhD, noted in an Aug. 15 article in Medical Economics that there are several federal policies in the works — including site-neutral billing, steady antitrust enforcement in healthcare and increased state regulation of mergers and acquisitions — that may slow consolidation over the next several years.
4. Charleston, S.C.-based Articularis Healthcare Group has built a model aimed at preserving the independence of community rheumatologists while providing the scale, infrastructure and resources needed to thrive in today’s complex healthcare environment. The model reflects a growing trend of new companies looking to center physician leadership in their growth models.
5. The American Medical Association launched its Center for Digital Health and AI in October. The center aims to ensure physicians are at the center of shaping, guiding and implementing technologies. The center will embed physicians throughout the lifecycle of technology development and deployment to ensure AI fits into clinical workflows and that physicians understand how to use it
