Who will teach physiology? The growing shortage of physiology generalists
Abstract
Physiology is foundational to medicine, yet the workforce of broadly trained physiology generalists is shrinking. As funding priorities favor molecular specialization, fewer graduate programs provide rigorous systems-level training for future educators. The result is a growing national shortage of qualified instructors across colleges, universities, and medical schools-paralleling earlier contractions in anatomy education. This editorial calls for coordinated action to rebuild integrative physiology training pathways and restore balance between discovery and education, safeguarding health professions training and public trust.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Educational Leadership and Innovation
Medical Case Reports and Studies
Neurology and Historical Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- AJP Advances in Physiology Education
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 361–362
- Publication date
- 16 February 2026
- Language
- EN