Investment or Entrapment? The High Cost of Medical Education and its Implications for Students, Medicine, and Society

The growing costs of medical education in the United States have lead to an ever-increasing proportion of students who graduate with very high educational debt: a national mean of $170,000. High student debt has unintended consequences for students, the physician workforce, and health care access. Despite growing awareness of the problem, educational and policy leaders have not been able to develop sustainable, equitable solutions. In part, the stalemate is sustained by a fundamental unanswered question: When both the public and the student benefit from medical education, who should pay the financial costs? Dr. Phillips discusses the history of medical student debt in the United States, its local and national consequences for students and the public, strengths and limitations of current programs, barriers to change, and possible solutions.
Julie Phillips, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at MSU College of Human Medicine
Recorded January 16, 2013
*Please note that the audio cuts out near the 25 minute mark, but returns a few minutes later.