As the general population in the United States ages, its physicians are aging as well: According to the Association of American Medical Colleges' 2013 State Physician Workforce Data Book, 27.6 percent of the nation's physicians are 60 years old or older.
Some states have a higher proportion of physicians nearing retirement than others, meaning they feel the physician shortage more acutely as older physicians exit the workforce.
The following 10 states have the highest proportion of physicians 60 or older.
1. New Mexico — 33.3 percent
2. California — 31.5 percent
3. Montana — 31.2 percent
4. Maine — 30.5 percent
5. Hawaii — 30.5 percent
6. West Virginia — 30.1 percent
7. New Jersey — 30.1 percent
8. New York — 30 percent
9. Oklahoma — 29.7 percent
10. Maryland — 29.4 percent
North Carolina had the fewest amount of physicians 60 or older, as just 22.6 percent of its physicians are in that age bracket.