As Senate Considers More Medicare-Funded Residency Slots, Hospitals Not Filling Existing Slots

As the Senate considers adding more Medicare-funded residency positions to meet future needs for physicians, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that about 1,500 currently funded positions go unfilled, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Advertisement

Hospitals that don’t fill the slots can no longer provide the supervision or the hands-on experiences that are required, said a workforce expert at the AAMC. Experts added that the current number of residency slots can “nowhere near” meet future needs and even if all slots could be filled and new ones were added, it would take years for physicians to get through the training pipeline.

While many medical schools have increased their class sizes to accommodate future demand, Harvard Medical School has kept enrollment the same, assuming that nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other non-MDs, rather than doctors, would fill in the gap.

Read Bloomberg‘s report on hospital residency slots.

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Legal & Regulatory Issues

Advertisement

Comments are closed.