Letters to the Editor - Dec. 10, 2007

ACPM: Ask lawmakers now to fund preventive medicine residencies

Regarding "We have more students, now what?" (Article, Oct. 22/29): While Council on Graduate Medical Education Vice Chair Robert Phillips Jr., MD, MSPH, is appropriately concerned with the need to expand CMS-funded residency slots, the American College of Preventive Medicine is concerned that the present lack of any support from CMS for preventive medicine residency training continues to cripple our public health infrastructure at a time when our nation's public health has become a growing concern for all.

In its June 2007 report, the Institute of Medicine estimates a deficit of 10,000 public health physicians in the U.S. Currently we have a total of 74 active residency programs with only 285 residents, although these programs are accredited to produce 551 residents. Only about 10% to 15% of these residents are supported through direct federal funding.

We ask our colleagues throughout medicine to write their representatives and senators, asking them to co-sponsor the Preventive Medicine and Public Health Training Act (S 1120; HR 3404), that would establish a dedicated and stable funding stream for preventive medicine residency training.

This legislation would begin the process of re-populating our physician public health work force by authorizing the CDC to fund approximately 400 residents per year in public health, preventive medicine, occupational medicine, and aerospace medicine.

--Michael Parkinson, MD, president, American College of Preventive Medicine

--Halley S. Faust, MD, secretary-treasurer, American College of Preventive Medicine

The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment.
Meeting coverage - Slideshow