Graduate Medical Education: Addressing the Doctor Shortage

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Graduate Medical Education (GME) — clinical training at teaching hospitals for our future physicians after medical school — is crucial in addressing America’s current and future physician workforce needs.

Unfortunately, Medicare-supported training positions have been effectively frozen since 1997. Increasing federal investment in GME is the first step in producing more physicians to care for our nation’s patients. 

America faces a nationwide physician shortage as demand for health care accelerates because of a growing, diversifying, and aging population. Residency plays a crucial role in preparing physicians like you to meet this increased demand. Establishing a physician workforce able to meet the nation's future health care needs requires increased investment in GME. 

Bipartisan legislation introduced in both the House and the Senate (H.R. 23891 and S. 13022) would help address the doctor shortage by increasing the number of Medicare-supported residency positions by 14,000 over seven years. This increase would make progress toward providing the necessary primary care and specialty physicians necessary to meet the country’s workforce needs. 

Learn more about what the AAMC is doing on GME.



1. Bill Summary: The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (H.R. 2389)

2. Bill Summary: The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (S. 1302)

 

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