AMA continues efforts to secure funding for graduate medical education

The American Medical Association (AMA) today renewed its support for securing alternative funding sources for graduate medical education (GME) to increase the number of medical residency slots needed to care for patients in today's health care system and to help address the national physician shortage. During its Interim meeting, the AMA adopted policy to explore additional funding models for GME beyond those examined in the Institute of Medicine's 2014 report on GME governance and financing.

Under the new policy, the organization will encourage insurance payers and foundations to enter into partnerships with state and local agencies, as well as academic medical centers and community hospitals, to expand GME funding. The policy also calls on organizations with successful GME funding models to share strategies, outcomes and costs for implementation. Additionally, the AMA plans to increase public awareness of the importance of graduate medical education, student debt and the state of the medical profession.