Free tuition may not solve the looming doctor shortage
When NYU School of Medicine announced medical students would be able to attend the school tuition free, it excited some who see a looming shortage of physicians approaching on the horizon. However, the move may not solve the impending crisis, Forbes reported.
That’s because most medical students tend to return to communities that match their backgrounds once they start practicing medicine, and most med student come from wealthier, urban communities, according to research. This pattern wouldn’t help meet the need for physicians in rural areas, where demand is the highest.
More students from lower-income backgrounds could be more enticed to study medicine without the threat of a high tuition burden, but there is little evidence that debt is actually a main barrier to becoming a doctor, according to Forbes.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."