Beyond the Clinic Family Medicine on a Mission Part 1: How Air Force Physicians Achieve Humanitarian Goals Read Family Medicine on a Mission Part 1: How Air Force Physicians Achieve Humanitarian Goals
Phoenix Newsletter - March 2025 President’s Message: ABFM’s Unwavering Commitment to Diplomates and the Specialty Read President’s Message: ABFM’s Unwavering Commitment to Diplomates and the Specialty
Home Research Research Library Debt and the emerging physician workforce: the relationship between educational debt and family medicine residents’ practice and fellowship intentions Debt and the emerging physician workforce: the relationship between educational debt and family medicine residents’ practice and fellowship intentions 2019 Author(s) Phillips, Julie P, Peterson, Lars E, Fang, Bo, Kovar-Gough, Iris, and Phillips, Robert L Topic(s) Education & Training, Role of Primary Care, and What Family Physicians Do Keyword(s) Graduate Medical Education, Imprinting Of Training, Practice Organization / Ownership, Shortage Areas, and Visiting Scholar/Fellow Volume Academic Medicine Source Academic Medicine Purpose: Educational debt is increasing and may affect physicians’ career choices. High debt may influence family medicine residents’ initial practice setting and fellowship training decisions, adversely affecting the distribution of primary care physicians. The purpose of this study was to determine whether debt was associated with graduating family medicine residents’ practice and fellowship intentions. Method: The authors completed a cross-sectional secondary analysis of 2014 and 2015 American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) examination registration questionnaire data and ABFM administrative data. They used multivariate logistic regression to determine whether educational debt was associated with graduating residents’ practice (ownership and type) and fellowship intentions. Results: Most residents (89.7%; 3,368) intended to pursue an employed position, but this intention was not associated with their debt. Residents with high debt ($150,000-$249,999) had lower odds of intending to work for a government organization (odds ratio [OR] 0.57; confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.79). Those with high or very high debt (> $250,000) had lower odds of choosing academic practice (OR 0.55, CI 0.36-0.85 and OR 0.62, CI 0.40-0.96, respectively) or a geriatrics fellowship (OR 0.36, CI 0.20-0.67 and OR 0.29, CI 0.15-0.55, respectively). Conclusions: High educational debt may contribute to national shortages of academic primary care physicians and geriatricians. Existing National Health Service Corps loan repayment opportunities may not offer adequate incentives to primary care physicians with high debt. The medical community should advocate for policies that better align financial incentives with workforce needs. Read More ABFM Research Read all 2015 Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home Go to Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home 2023 Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce Go to Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce 2013 Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions Go to Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions 2019 Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries Go to Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries
Author(s) Phillips, Julie P, Peterson, Lars E, Fang, Bo, Kovar-Gough, Iris, and Phillips, Robert L Topic(s) Education & Training, Role of Primary Care, and What Family Physicians Do Keyword(s) Graduate Medical Education, Imprinting Of Training, Practice Organization / Ownership, Shortage Areas, and Visiting Scholar/Fellow Volume Academic Medicine Source Academic Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2015 Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home Go to Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home 2023 Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce Go to Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce 2013 Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions Go to Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions 2019 Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries Go to Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries
2015 Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home Go to Family physicians’ ability to perform population management is associated with adoption of other aspects of the patient-centered medical home
2023 Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce Go to Impact of Service-Based Student Loan Repayment Program on the Primary Care Workforce
2013 Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions Go to Toward Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accountability: Measuring the Outcomes of GME Institutions
2019 Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries Go to Comparing Comprehensiveness in Primary Care Specialties and Their Effects on Healthcare Costs and Hospitalizations in Medicare Beneficiaries