my connection with the tea party

[kandrathe]

Either you pay them more than the market rate (either with salary, or by forgiving loans, which is just money coming out a different chute), in which case you save no money, or you pay them less, in which case, they'll just go straight into private practice because it pays better.

The math needs to work out. Figure the average doctor leaves college with at least $100K, and probably more like $150K in loans (unless you are ivy league). The current average starting salary (depending on specialty) varies between about $100K and $350K. So, I would give them $100K salary and pay off at the same rate as peace corps (15% for the first two years, 20% for two additional years.) The net cost (above their service earned salary) would be about $27K per year per doctor, while the benefit would be (less the $100K paid salary) more like $50K to $75K average per year per doctor. As the number of physicians increases in the market, the salaries would begin to decrease and so a mechanism would need to be in place to adjust the rates accordingly. Use the same methodology for nursing. There is the whole self-actualization thing about joining the volunteer corps too. You might even make it a more break even program by charging the hospital or clinic a market rate less 10% per physician. The program would then just cost pretty much the administration.

Unless, of course, you made it mandatory. THAT would save some money, but it would also restrict the number of applicants to med school, since graduation would mean 4 years of what I would see as public service, but some might see as indenture...

I would make it a choice (each year of service would require re-enlistment). But, a big worry of doctors is getting out from under their mountain of debt to enable them to begin to build a practice. It would be good for newly graduated physicians too.