August 2012
This Month's News
AMA, AAMC sign agreement to strengthen med school accreditation
Good news for med students: Debt down
Medical school deans still largely a male bastion
Study sheds light on patterns of unprofessional behavior
Top Stories
Good news for med students: Debt down
A new analysis of medical student debt finds an "unprecedented" slowdown in the growth of debt levels from 2008 to 2011, which may be an effect of lower interest rates. Mean education debt amounts were almost flat over the three-year period, at about $161,300, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Still, the study notes that the cost to attend a U.S. medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education has grown at a rate roughly double that of inflation. These high costs could have a detrimental effect on efforts to increase the number of physicians from under-represented minority populations.
The AMA continues to advocate on this issue and encourage innovations to reduce debt levels. The AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), in particular, has worked to address student debt through advocacy efforts, in cooperation with the AMA. Learn more about debt and how the AMA-MSS is addressing this issue.
