On the Use of Nonphysician “Associate Residents” in Overcrowded Specialty-Training Programs

Abstract

A number of solutions have been proposed to correct the substantial oversupply of physicians that already exists or will exist by the end of this decade. These include decreasing the number of medical-school entrants, closing some medical schools entirely, eliminating federal support to medical schools for student education, raising fees and tuition for medical students, denying favorable immigration status to foreign-born medical graduates seeking postgraduate medical training, and requiring more thorough evaluation of U.S. citizens who wish to practice here after graduation from foreign medical schools.All these suggestions have merit, but we recommend yet another solution, which depends on . . .