Medicine: national shortage of child psychiatrists

CNN says that I should have some good job security come 2013 or so.

Several steps have been proposed to ease the shortage, though none are expected to produce swift changes. One concept is to either shorten the five-year psychiatry program or enable students interested in child psychiatry to begin working with children sooner in their training.

Another step was taken last week when the House of Representatives approved an amendment that makes students preparing for work in youth mental health eligible for loan forgiveness. But the measure's Senate prospects are uncertain, and a broader bill addressing the psychiatrist shortage has languished in committee for two years.

"Everyone knows there's a shortage of nurses, of science teachers," said Michael Zamore, an aide to amendment sponsor Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island. "When it comes to mental health, it's hidden in the closet."