According to the Journal of Medical Licensure and Discipline, during the period of 1990-2000, North Carolina’s population grew from 6,628,637 to 8,049,313, a 21.4% increase. Only eight other states (Florida, Georgia, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona) experienced a larger increase in populace.

Futhermore, from 1991-2000, the number of licensed physicians practicing in North Carolina increased from 12,525 to 19,895, a 58.8% increase, exceeded only by the state of Nevada at 60%. This brought the number of practicing physicians per 1,000 population to 2.47, a figure still lower than 15 other states, but a vast improvement over its previous tally of 1.88 docs per 1,000 citizens.

Sources: US Population figures taken from 1990 and 2000 US Census; Physician Population numbers reported to the Federation of State Medical Boards by individual state medical boards.