Re: “The vanishing general practitioner: More medical students are opting for specialty practices, leaving a daunting void,” [a Nov. 29 Focus story], the dramatic shift from primary care to specialty interests within the American health care system begs a deeper question—What is the future of the primary-care doctor?

As the overhaul of this country’s health care system begins, there will be several opportunities to create a worthwhile system if issues are examined on a systems-based level. As technology drives health care toward a silo-based model, how will the role and compensation of primary-care physicians change? If these questions can be answered, perhaps more students will be willing to fill this time-honored role.

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Kimberly Kopecky
First-year medical student
Harvard Medical School
Indiana University 2010 graduate