Return to Front PageVOLUME 6, NUMBER 4

Readers Respond

Why does the number of medical school applicants continue to decline? Is the decline cause for concern? The decline is due to easily available, high-paying jobs for bright college graduates and the continual whining of my colleagues who take every opportunity to discourage young people from entering our profession. The students we are getting seem to have higher ideals and be more realistic about the future. I am not worried (for the time being). Joel Levine, M.D. Senior Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs University of Colorado School of Medicine It is my perception that the "best and the brightest" clearly perceive the challenging and rewarding choice of professions in business: management, finance, and dot-coms. The hard work, decreasing compensation, and decreasing professional satisfaction in medicine are not lost on young people. The profound effects of the radical restructuring of medicine are only beginning to be noted. Stay tuned, much more to follow. John M. Porter, M.D. Professor of Surgery Oregon Health Sciences University Managed care has significantly diminished the ability of physicians to provide full care for their patients, including adequate diagnostic procedures and the best medications. Those losses of physician power, coupled with the copious paper loads the system demands, reduce the joys of being a physician. Floyd E. Bloom, M.D. Chairman, National Medical Council Washington University Chairman, Department of Neuropharmacology The Scripps Research Institute The turbulence in the health care system is front-page news almost daily, often negative and frequently critical of physicians. It is not surprising that college students seek other careers, particularly in a booming economy in which some consider themselves failures if they are not dot-com millionaires by age 30. The decline might, however, result in physicians who are more altruistic, less concerned about income, more sensitive to patient needs, and more willing to exchange some loss of control over their work to serve patients. Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D. Professor and Chair Department of Family Medicine University of Michigan Medical School First, doctors have several years of rigorous training to undergo before they can practice, which often entails thousands of dollars in debt and personal sacrifices. Second, once students become doctors, they are expected to be infallible and are constantly being monitored for "quality" by insurance companies and other organizations. They also have to work nights, holidays, and weekends. Graduates of top business schools and law schools start off with six-figure salaries and none of the above hassles. The decline is very concerning; it will become a serious issue with medical care in the U.S. Latha Chandran, M.D. Director, Division of General Pediatrics State University of New York at Stony Brook My concern is that young people who see medicine as service to communities are looking for other ways to serve. Service is less emphasized than technology these days in medicine. Medicine also appears to be full of uneasy, complaining doctors who don't appear to enjoy their work, which is not a strong advertisement for the profession. John J. Frey III, M.D. Chair, Department of Family Medicine University of Wisconsin Medical School I suspect that potential medical students are beginning to look more carefully at alternative careers. Negative publicity about HMOs, Medicare reimbursement, etc., probably deter some whose ultimate goals are dictated more by their desire for personal financial security than by their desire to deliver service to mankind. I suspect that most of those idealistic individuals who fit the later category are still within the pool of applicants. Thomas E. Smith, Ph.D. Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Howard University College of Medicine I believe the decline is in part due to the good economy. Another contribution is our own frustration with funding mechanisms and complaints about decreases in income, which minimize the satisfaction derived from helping people and similar virtues of medical practice. In addition, the increased demands of practice make for less time spent with patients or espousing medicine as a career. Students value balance in their lives. For medicine to be considered, it must be sold as a career, not a "life." Thomas W. Pendergrass, M.D. Vice Chair, Educational Affairs Department of Pediatrics University of Washington School of Medicine In Canada, we have more than 7,000 applicants for 1,600 positions. However, we are experiencing a continuing decrease in interest in primary care. Contrary to popular belief, we do not have "socialized medicine" or a national health insurance program. Most physicians are fee-for-service and patients have full choice; we have no HMOs and yet we have a major physician shortage. David Hawkins, M.D. Executive Director Association of Canadian Medical Colleges It is my impression that the major reason most students choose medicine as a career is it's interesting and high paying. Perhaps this decline in applicants will cause admissions committees to pay more attention to a clear personal record of established community service and less to GPA. Academic medicine is not short on brains; what we're short on is altruism. Eric Radin, M.D. Professor, Orthopedics Tufts University School of Medicine Next month's question: What impact would including rats, mice, and birds in the Animal Welfare Act have on biomedical research? Please send your responses (75 words or fewer) to rmuir@aamc.org or fax to (202) 828-1123. Responses must be received by Decmeber 13 for consideration, and may be edited for length and clarity. Also, please include your title, institution, and any academic degrees. Select answers will be printed in the September edition of the AAMC Reporter.

AAMC Home | Government Affairs | Newsroom | Publications | Meetings | Students and Applicants | About the AAMC | Search | Site Map
Questions and Comments | © 1995-2004 AAMC Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement