The AAMC led supporting organizations in a day of action on June 22 to urge congress to expand Medicare support for graduate medical education (GME). Dozens of members of congress, physician and hospital groups, teaching hospitals, medical schools, medical students, residents, physicians, and others joined together to raise awareness about the need to expand Medicare-supported GME and urge members of congress to support the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (S. 1302/H.R. 2389).
GME supporters took to social media using the hashtag #ExpandGME to highlight the looming physician shortage as well as how more Medicare-supported GME positions would help train more physicians to meet patient needs. The AAMC also activated its grassroots community, AAMC Action, to ensure the congressional offices were hearing directly from their constituents about the importance of GME.
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), leads of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, posted videos remarking on the importance of their legislation and urging their colleagues to support the bill. Finally, the AAMC partnered with Laura Vater, MD, MPH, a gastrointestinal oncologist and advocate for GME, to provide the physician perspective on why additional Medicare-supported GME positions are so important.
- Washington Highlights