Crisis!

Experts beyond the island call what is happening in the US family medicine specialty a "crisis." Recent "match" results show that of the 2654 family medicine residency slots available, 250 went completely unfilled (nobody in place in those slots for training). More importantly, only 48% of the "filled slots" were filled by graduates of US based medical schools. The rest, 52% of the 2404, were filled by graduates of international medical schools. Is there any wonder why offshore schools are booming? There is a need to be filled, and international medical grads are filling them. And this phenomenon is not just in the US. Those slots are likewise being filled in Australia, the UK, Canada and other westernized countries.

We are not turning out enough general practice physicians in the US for the future needs and not filling the slots of available training slots for the ones we are turning out. Crisis? Not sure. But certainly a challenge, and an opportunity....if I can get thru this term :)