The miseducation of medical students

It used to be that a medical resident could depend upon at least one relatively easy rotation -- but not anymore. At a forum held Wednesday night entitled "Are We Mis-Financing Medical Education?" panelists discussed this issue of increased pressure on aspiring medical practitioners -- among many other problems in medical learning. About 100 Medical School students, undergraduates and faculty members gathered at the Biomedical Research Building II/III to hear distinguished panelists -- ranging from an osteopath to a Wharton professor -- argue over the current situation in medical education. Sandy Shea, the director of the Boston Committee of Interns and Residents, represented the view of over-worked residents. "Residents are demoralized, depressed and angry," Shea said. "It's bad news out there." She added anecdotes about overworked residents, arguing that the graduate medical system should be more fair. Some panelists answered the question posed by last night's forum with a simple "yes," saying that the country is misfinancing medical education. Association of American Medical Colleges President and CEO Jordan Cohen spoke of the distinction between financing hospitals and financing undergraduate pre-med education. "I think we have plenty of money," he said. "The question is: Do we have our priorities straight?" Representing non-mainstream medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean Kenneth Veit emphasized the unclear path of medical school fees. "Students come to my face and say, 'Where's my tuition going?'" Veit said in his opening remarks. "Our answers get less and less satisfactory." "If you try to follow the money, you get stuck in a maze," he added. Veit described the osteopathic model for allocating medical funds as functioning like a tricycle. "The big wheel is education," he said. "The smaller wheels are research and service delivery." Wharton Professor Sean Nicholson wore the economist's hat Wednesday, emphasizing the favorable market for medical education. He said students will likely be paid back for the price of their education from a profession with an average income of $200,000 a year. Afterward, the engaged audience had many questions for the panelists. Most students stayed throughout the entire two-hour debate. First-year Medical School student Eric Stern said he and his peers attended the event for a simple reason: The topic hit close to home. "We're medical students and have no money," he said.

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