Medical Residency Moratorium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWqulmvLbME 

   Here is an idea that would allow ALL qualified doctor applicants the ability to obtain a license to practice Medicine.  Currently, the medical residency shortage has prevented as many as 10,000 doctors per year from completing one of the last required steps for licensure in the US.  This idea could be accomplished at no additional cost and without the passage of a new Bill or Amendment.

   Applicants to medical residencies in the US fall into 2 major categories, US citizens or non-US citizens.  Over the last 5 years, 18,819 NON-US citizen graduates matched into a 1^st year US residency program.  At the same time, 13,982 US citizen graduates DID NOT match into a US residency (1).  Without at least one year of post-graduate training in an accredited US residency program, no doctor can obtain a US medical license.  Without a US residency, the UN-matched US citizen doctor graduates cannot even practice in their own country.  However, non-US citizen doctor graduates CAN practice in their country of origin without a US residency.

   Here is the idea.  Give first priority to US doctor applicants for US residency programs, and 2^nd priority to non-US citizens, until the residency shortage is eliminated.  All applicants would have the ability to work as citizens of their respective countries.

   How could this be accomplished without costs or legislation?  The costs of Graduate Medical Education are paid through (2):

·         Medicare

·         Medicaid

·         Veteran Affairs and Defense

·         State and local governments

·         Faculty practice plans

The only non-government source of revenue in this list is the Faculty practice plans.  Congress could place “conditions” for the receipt of federal money to residency programs by requiring 1^st priority be given to US citizen doctor applicants for US residency programs.  President Ronald Reagan used a similar strategy to strengthen drunk driving laws nationwide.  He convinced Congress to place “conditions” for the receipt of federal money for highway construction in each state.  Congress required states pass more stringent drunk driving laws in order to receive federal money.  US tax dollars fund most of these federal departments, and tax-paying US citizens should be given 1^st priority to receive the benefits they have “paid for”.

   While non-US doctors have provided valuable services to our country, these doctors also have the opportunity to practice Medicine in their own countries, while US doctors cannot.  Giving 1^st priority to US citizens during the medical residency shortage will ensure the preservation of ALL fully qualified doctors.

(1)    http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Advance-Data-Tables-2018.pdf

(2)    https://www.aamc.org/advocacy/gme/71152/gme_gme0001.html

(3)    C:\Users\lesla\OneDrive\Documents\DGME PAYMENTS and How President Reagan....pdf

www.NoMatchMDs.blogspot.com

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Residency Match / NRMP

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Residency Match/NRMP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUynulWye3E&t=33s

The problem is NOT just that there are not enough residency positions currently available in the US today.  The travesty is that many of those unmatched doctors will not match in the next few years either, and will have to quit Medicine!  Yes Quit!  Just think about the utter waste of time, talent, money, and DOCTORS.

Over 8,640 doctor graduates nationally did not match into a residency on Mar.18^th of this year.* One might think that they can just re-apply next year and all will be well.  Unfortunately, a majority of these doctors will probably never match before their credentials have to be renewed, and their training will be for naught.

These doctors will not match in succeeding years due to the compounding affect of prior years’ candidates re-applying the next year, but more importantly due to the unique situation of having their application being “selectively ignored”. 

The number of applications received by each residency has increased exponentially.   Brandon Regional Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program received over 900 applications for 20 positions before the residency had even begun!  Blake Memorial Hospital in Bradenton received more than 1000 applications for 15 positions and it just began this July!  All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg received 1,400 applicants for 12 slots.

 No administrative assistant has the time to read through 1,000 applications looking for “redeeming qualities” of lower scoring but fully qualified candidates.  The programs will have to rely upon a computer screening using common benchmarks, like Step 2 scores, to reduce the number of applications they review.  So the top ranked candidates will be selected quantitatively versus qualitatively, and the lower scoring candidates will continue to be “selectively ignored” repeatedly and fall into a “limbo”.

* Pages7-12, http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Main-Match-Results-and-Data-2016.pdf
http://nomatchmds.blogspot.com/