A new report has made it clear: Primary care in the U.S. is in critical condition — and the time to act is now.

Released by UC Davis Health and developed by 30 nationally recognized health care leaders, the Proceedings of the Summit on Revitalizing Primary Care (Rev PC) report outlines a path forward to repair a system that is overburdened, underfunded and increasingly unable to meet patient’s needs.

Among the report’s most urgent findings is that the U.S. spends less than 5% of its health care dollars on primary care, despite that primary care clinicians manage most health issues that patients face.

The result? Fewer Americans can find or keep a primary care doctor. Wait times are longer. Visits are shorter. Physician burnout is rampant. And the pipeline of new primary care physicians simply isn’t big enough to meet the growing demand.

But here’s the good news: We don’t have to wait for a new generation of doctors to fix it.

Retrained Physicians are an Untapped Solution

One of the report’s key messages is that “the time is right” — not just to talk about fixing primary care, but to act. That means tapping every available strategy to grow and support the workforce now, including pathways for licensed physicians who want to return to clinical medicine or simply make a change in their practice.

This is where Physician Retraining and Reentry fits in.

PRR offers a fast, flexible path for licensed physicians to retrain as primary care clinicians — no residency required. Many of our graduates come from other specialties or have taken time away from practice. What they have in common is a desire to make a difference and a readiness to step back into medicine in a meaningful, impactful way.

Why Now? Because Primary Care Can’t Wait

The UC Davis report lays out seven recommendations to turn the tide, several of which align directly with what retrained physicians through PRR are already doing.

• Supporting team-based, relationship-centered care: PRR prepares physicians for the realities of today’s primary care, such as working in diverse settings, from clinics to telehealth, in collaboration with care teams that include nurses, social workers and behavioral health providers.

• Addressing clinician shortages in underserved communities: Many PRR graduates choose to serve in rural, urban or otherwise medically underserved areas where the primary care gap is most acute.

• Delivering whole-person care, faster: Because PRR physicians are already licensed and experienced, they can transition quickly into practice, accelerating access for patients.

A Call to Action for Physicians

If you’ve stepped away from medicine, are winding down but not yet ready to retire or want to pivot from another specialty, retraining in primary care is one of the most impactful things you can do. It’s also personally rewarding. Our graduates often report greater flexibility, more meaningful patient relationships and a renewed sense of purpose.

And you don’t have to do it alone. PRR offers a structured, fully online curriculum that fits into your life and equips you with the knowledge and confidence to practice primary care safely and effectively.

The health care system needs you. Patients need you. The future of primary care needs you.

Learn more about how you can retrain and reenter primary care through PRR. Together, we can help reverse the crisis — one clinician and one patient at a time.