Document Detail


Commentary: the unsustainable cost of undergraduate medical education: an overlooked element of U.S. health care reform.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20520022     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The cost of undergraduate medical education has been rising at more than twice the rate of inflation in recent years. A leveling off of the cost of medical education is unlikely to be realized any time soon. Rather, current economic circumstances are likely to further increase the upward pressure on medical schools seeking to correct budgetary shortfalls. Median student debt burden has increased by more than 50% from 1998 to 2008. All of this portends a negative impact on the diversity of the national medical student body and the ability of medical schools to meet workforce needs, including those necessary to the effective provision of primary care. As challenging as the high indebtedness issue may be, it is not insolvable. Current trends could be relieved by increasing financial assistance, improving the quality and availability of loan programs, and reducing the cost of attendance. Achieving the latter through foreshortening of the course of study is both feasible and potentially effective. All of these measures could and should be addressed as integral components of health care reform if we are to address the shortage of primary care physicians and other workforce needs.
Authors:
Eli Y Adashi; Philip A Gruppuso
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges     Volume:  85     ISSN:  1938-808X     ISO Abbreviation:  Acad Med     Publication Date:  2010 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-03     Completed Date:  2010-07-15     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8904605     Medline TA:  Acad Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  763-5     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Eli_Adashi@brown.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Career Choice
Costs and Cost Analysis
Curriculum
Education, Medical, Undergraduate / economics*,  organization & administration
Financing, Organized
Health Care Reform
Humans
Physicians / supply & distribution
Schools, Medical / economics
Students, Medical*
Time Factors
United States

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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