Task Force on Medical Education Debt

In response to the growing crisis in medical education debt, the MSS founded a Task Force on Medical Education Debt in June 2003. The Task Force's first charge was to survey all available evidence regarding the debt crisis, its effects on students and physicians, and the AMA's policy and advocacy efforts. Based on this investigation, the Task Force created a comprehensive report (PDF, 267KB) that summarizes the debt crisis for students and policymakers. The Task Force also issued detailed recommendations on ways that the AMA and our component state medical societies could better serve students in addressing this issue. These recommendations were passed through the AMA House of Delegates in December 2003.

In 2004, the Task Force on Medical Education Debt is working to implement one of its many recommendations: improving the scholarships available through state medical society foundations and the AMA Foundation. We are investigating the current situation in states across the US, and we intend to construct an action kit that will allow students in any state to work with their Foundations to make scholarship funds more available and accessible. Through the Governing Council, we are also seeking to organize with other medical student groups and coordinate our actions on medical education debt for greater effectiveness locally and in Washington. For more information about any of these initiatives, please contact the Task Force Chair, Alik Widge.