ACOG Committee Opinion No. 739: The Late-Career Obstetrician-Gynecologist.

The American Medical Association reported in 2015 that physicians 65 years and older currently represent 23% of the physicians in the United States. Unlike other professions such as commercial airline pilots, who by law must have regular health screenings starting at 40 years and must retire at 65 years, few health care institutions or systems have any policies regarding the late-career physician. Although there is an increase in accumulated wisdom and verbal knowledge with age, there is also an overall decline in recall memory, cognitive processing efficiency, and executive reasoning. The goal of physicians and health care institutions is to provide safe and competent care to their patients. Therefore, when considering the performance of a physician, the quality of care provided and safety of the patient are of the utmost importance. It is important to establish systems-based competency assessments to monitor and address physicians' health and the effect age has on performance and outcomes. Retention strategies can support areas of cognitive or technical decline while capitalizing on the aging doctor's strengths, and workplace adaptations should be adopted to help obstetrician-gynecologists transition and age well in their practice and throughout their careers.