Who will teach physiology? The growing shortage of physiology generalists

<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> 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.

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Publication Details

Journal
AJP Advances in Physiology Education
Published
2026-02-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00321.2025
Primary Topic
Educational Leadership and Innovation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Who will teach physiology? The growing shortage of physiology generalists

Erica A. Wehrwein
AJP Advances in Physiology Education
Educational Leadership and Innovation
article

Who will teach physiology? The growing shortage of physiology generalists

Erica A. Wehrwein
article en

Abstract

<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> 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.

AJP Advances in Physiology EducationVol. 50(2)
Michigan State University (US)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 55%
Educational Leadership and Innovation
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