my connection with the tea party

[Jester]

I'm assuming we have a supply problem for a few reasons. 1) not enough enrollment slots in colleges making it difficult to get into the profession, or 2) the costs are prohibitive, where the alternative health corps route would alleviate that concern. 3) not enough students are interested in the profession, or 4) not enough students have the prerequisite aptitude. We can't do to much about 3) or 4).

The problem with becoming a doctor is not that, in the long run, it's too expensive. You earn tons of money once you've got your license. Paying off student loans isn't fun, but with the degree, you become a money making machine. Doctors earn loads of cash, and have little incentive to not be doctors after getting their degree.

The problems are the up front costs. People with no money and bad credit aren't able to wait until they graduate to pay off their loans, because they probably won't even make it that far.* Giving them an additional option at the end of their degree is useless; they already have the best license to print money that an education can buy - an MD.

What might help would be a broad and generous scholarship program, to ensure that a broader swathe of people with the talent manage to get into and through the program. Perhaps create an indenture program, where you promise to sign up for public doctoring in order to get a scholarship? Make it a competitive thing for successful med school applicants? Something like that.

-Jester

*Yes, I know, not impossible. But damn hard - and supply of doctors is determined by the marginal, not the exceptional, case.