Workforce & Medical Education
Physician workforce issues and medical education are closely tied together. There has been a steady decline of medical students and residents pursuing careers in general internal medicine. Many of those already in practice are nearing retirement and others are under such stress that they are looking for an exit strategy.
The need for primary care physicians, who can provide first contact and comprehensive continuous care for adults, will continue to rise as the population ages, its health care needs increase, and the demand for acute, chronic, and long-term care escalates. ACP believes that specific efforts must be made to ensure an adequate supply of general internists and to encourage entry into the field of internal medicine.
Debt Relief & Funding
- ACP urges reinstatement of the 20/220 loan deferment pathway
. Joint comments to: The Honorable Margaret Spellings, U.S. Department of Education. (14-Aug-08) - ACP Urges Reinstatement of 20/220 Pathway As Part Of HEA Reauthorization; Joint letter To: HEA Conferees (19-Mar-08)
- ACP Endorses Legislation to Make 20/220 Pathway for Economic Hardship Deferment Permanent; Letter To: The Honorable Richard Burr, United States Senate
(06-Dec-07)
- ACP Urges Provision Of At Least $228 Million For Title VII and $170 For Title VIII; Letter To: Joint Letter To Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations
(24-Oct-07)
- ACP Expresses Concern Regarding Changes to Economic Hardship Deferment in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act; Letter To: Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chair, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. (Letter also sent to House Education and Labor Committee)
(08-Oct-07)
- Joint Letter to Secretary of Education Urging An Increase in the Aggregate Combined Stafford Loan Limit for Health Professions Students Letter To: The Honorable Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education
(04-Sept-07)
- Joint Letter Supporting H.R. 1332, the Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007 Letter To: Representative Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman, House Small Business Committee, U.S. House of Representatives (13-Apr-07)
- ACP Endorses the Medical Education Affordability Act Letter To: The Honorable Christopher Dodd, United States Senate (28-Mar-07)
- Health Coalition Urges Senate to Restore Title VII and VIII Funding. Letter To: The Honorable Thad Cochran, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate (07-July-05)
- Title VII primary care funding Sign On Letter (05-Oct-04)
- ACP Letter to Senator Frist on S. 2075 The Geriatricians Loan Forgiveness Act of 2004 (26-May-04)
- Two Recommendations for Consideration for the Higher Education Act Reauthorization Process; Sign-On Letter to U.S. House Represenatives John Boehner and George Miller and U.S. Senators Judd Gregg and Edward Kennedy (19-Apr-04)
- ACP Supports Tax Relief Provisions Regarding Student Debt Contained in H.R. 3412 Letter to: the Honorable Phillip S. English (14-Jan-04)
Resident Physician Shortage
- ACP Supports the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2007 Letter To: The Honorable Bill Nelson, United States Senate
- ACP's comments on the Council on Graduate Medical Education's (CoGME) draft report entitled Reassessing Physician Workforce Policy Guidelines for the U.S. 2000-2020 (25-May-04)
Physician Workforce Issues
- ACP comments on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Proposed Rule Change; Joint letter to Secretary Leavitt (8-May-08)
- ACP Endorses Legislation to Permanently Reauthorize Conrad 30 Visa Waiver Program; Letter to: The Honorable Kent Conrad, U.S. House of Representatives (23-Apr-08)
- ACP Provides Statement for the Record on Primary Care Workforce: Statement for the Record for Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Addressing Healthcare Workforce Issues for the Future (12-Feb-08)
- ACP Supports the "U.S. Physician Shortage Elimination Act"; Letter To: The Honorable John Conyers, Jr., U.S. House of Representatives (05-June-07)
- ACP Supports the "Physician Shortage Elimination Act of 2007"; Letter To: The Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senate (05-June-07)
- ACP Supports the "U.S. Physician Shortage Elimination Act" Letter To: The Honorable John Conyers, Jr., U.S. House of Representatives (16-Oct-06)
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Policy Highlights
How is a Shortage of Primary Care Physicians Affecting the Quality and Cost of Medical Care?, November 2008
The Role of International Medical Graduates in the U.S. Physician Workforce - September 2008
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