Phoenix Newsletter - October 2025 President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change Read President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change
Home Research Research Library The Growth of Family Medicine Resident Debt The Growth of Family Medicine Resident Debt 2021 Author(s) Edwards-Johnson, Jennifer Topic(s) Education & Training Keyword(s) Graduate Medical Education, and Policy Brief Commentaries Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine The history of people and their relationships with debt is an interesting one. Although some embrace debt as necessary or even opportunistic, for many, debt represents stigma–a scarlet letter and constant reminder of something that is owed or has been left incomplete. For many, debt is something that should carry shame. I grew up harboring ideas of good debt and bad debt. My education, the one that my parents instilled in me was essential but that they could not quite pay for, was good debt. Educational debt was not something to be ashamed of, rather, it was a marker of my future earning potential. Of course, I understood that this too would have to be paid back, but educational debt was respectable, at least. After 4 years of undergraduate training and (almost) 3 years of medical school, I watched as colleagues were driven to choose their specialty based on any number of factors. Lifestyle and indebtedness were high on the list, as were availability of mentorship and prestige. As I decided on family medicine, I knew that I was making a decision that would significantly lessen my earning potential, and admittedly this made my decision more complicated. By then I was sufficiently disabused of the notion that my debt was good or bad, but I still had a lot of it. Ultimately, I found myself making a decision that had less to do with respectability or debt, and more to do with choosing a career and a specialty that had my respect. ABFM Research Read all 2025 The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine Go to The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine 2019 New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians Go to New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians 2015 Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice Go to Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice 2021 Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign Go to Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign
Author(s) Edwards-Johnson, Jennifer Topic(s) Education & Training Keyword(s) Graduate Medical Education, and Policy Brief Commentaries Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2025 The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine Go to The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine 2019 New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians Go to New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians 2015 Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice Go to Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice 2021 Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign Go to Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign
2025 The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine Go to The Impact of Length of Training on Clinical Preparedness Among New Graduates: A Report From the Length of Training Pilot Study in Family Medicine
2019 New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians Go to New Allopathic Medical Schools and Family Physicians
2015 Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice Go to Family Medicine Department Chairs’ Opinions Regarding Scope of Practice
2021 Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign Go to Sailing the 7C’s: Starfield Revisited as a Foundation of Family Medicine Residency Redesign