Table 3. Historical estimates and projections of active physicians and dentists: Selected years, 1950-90¹.

Year	Number of active physicians is as of December 31			Number of active dentists as of December 31
	Total	M.D.'s	D.O.'S
Historical estimates
1950	219,900	209,000	10,900	79,190
1955	240,200	228,600	11,600	84,370
1960	259,400	247,300	12,200	90,120
1965	288,700	277,600	211,100	95,990
1970	326,500	314,200	12,300	102,220
1973	355,700	342,400	13,300	108,360
1975	384,400	370,400	14,000	112,450
1979	440,400	424,000	16,400	123,500
1980	457,500	440,400	17,100	126,240
1981	466,700	448,700	18,000	129,180
1982	481,700	463,000	18,700	132,010
1983	496,500	476,800	19,700	135,120
Projections
1985	527,900	506,000	21,900	140,920
1988	569,100	543,600	25,500	147,730
1990	594,600	566,800	27,800	151,320
Selected periods	Average annual percent change
1950-55	1.8	1.8	1.3	1.3
1955-60	1.6	1.6	1.0	1.3
1960-65	2.2	2.3	2−1.9	1.3
1965-70	2.5	2.5	2.1	1.3
1970-75	3.3	3.3	2.6	1.9
1975-80	3.5	3.5	4.1	2.3
1980-85	2.9	2.8	5.1	2.2
1985-90	2.4	2.3	4.9	1.4
1983-85	3.1	3.0	5.4	2.1
1985-88	2.5	2.4	5.2	1.6
1988-90	2.2	2.1	4.4	1.2
1983-88	2.8	2.7	5.3	1.8
1965-83	3.1	3.1	3.2	1.9
1973-83	3.4	3.4	4.0	2.2
1983-90	2.6	2.5	5.0	1.6

¹Bureau of Health Professions (1984).

²The decline in the number of active D.O.'s between 1960 and 1965 reflects the granting of approximately 2,400 M.D. degrees to osteopathic physicians who had graduated from the University of California College of Medicine at Irvine. These physicians are included with active M.D.'s beginning in 1962.

NOTE:

M.D. = medical doctors.

D.O. = doctors of osteopathy.