The nation’s top medical schools are in a crisis, a situation that’s worsening as many students drop out to pursue postgraduate studies, according to a report released Thursday.
The nation’s leading medical schools have experienced a steep drop-off in enrollments from their 2010 peaks.
Some of the top medical programs are struggling with the shortage of graduates to fill positions, as well as the impact of new federal rules that would require schools to offer some jobs in specialty areas.
But the report by the Council of Graduate Medical Education (CGE) says that despite the current crisis, there is a long way to go to close the gap in enrolling students with special education needs.
The report says medical schools should do more than just educate graduates about their special needs.CGE also advocates for a national system of graduate medical education, with students taking classes and residency positions.
Its recommendations are focused on the following areas:Getting graduates to graduate school and work in specialty fieldsThe recruitment of new graduates and their familiesCaregivers need more supportIn a report titled “A New American Dream?,” the CGE says medical school graduates need to be offered employment opportunities.
But it also says that while the number of medical graduates has increased, the number working in specialty occupations has dropped from 1.3 million in 2010 to 635,000 in 2018.
The CGE found that about 1.8 million medical students have completed residencies in specialty jobs, a decline of more than 2 percent from the 10 years prior.
The number of residency positions in general medicine has also dropped from 790,000 to 733,000.
The report says that many graduates have to transfer to medical school and residency programs as they struggle to find jobs.
It says that some graduates will be forced to move to other areas of medicine to find full-time work.
The CGE report also warns that medical schools need more funding to help medical students graduate, including a federal grant program that would be tied to graduating students’ paychecks.
The president is considering a $1.3 trillion bill that would overhaul the nation’s medical school system.
