CHAIRPERSON'S COLUMN
The cost of medical education continues to increase and threatens the future of medicine. The Association of American Medical Colleges, in a survey of last year's graduating class, reported that 83% had incurred educational debt. Further, the mean level of reported indebtedness was $37 770, more than $2000 higher than the previous year's level; some medical students' debts exceed $100 000.
The impact of debt on a student's choice of residency remains to be determined; anecdotally, some students cite their indebtedness as a reason for avoiding primary care fields, which pay less than procedure-oriented specialties. (See "Choice of Specialty: It's Money That Matters in the USA." JAMA. 1989; 262:1630. Letter.) With future funding for health care in doubt and an escalation in the cost of medical education in sight, many excellent students who might otherwise choose to practice medicine are now pursuing other careers.
Repaying medical school debt
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