The Academy advocates for measures to mitigate the cost of medical school for students to lower the barrier of entry into the profession.
The median annual tuition for medical students in the United States is about $42,000 for in-state public schools and $70,000 for private schools. The increase in student debt is a major roadblock for those who want to enter primary care as a family physician.
Public service loan forgiveness and primary care
Sixty-eight percent of AAFP members surveyed reported participation in a loan repayment program. Of those respondents, 75 percent utilize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
How the AAFP is advocating for students and residents
Medical student debt continues to increase, with many physicians owing tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars upon graduation.
"I would not have been able to pursue medicine without federal student loans. The new cap on federal student loan funding for graduate students would prevent me and many of my peers to become physicians, and would only allow those that are financial able to pursue medicine. This is not the merit-based goal that we want for physicians."
The AAFP calls for the following measures to tackle the medical student debt crisis:
An expansion of federal funding for loan and scholarship programs that target family medicine and primary care
Deferment of interest and principal payments on medical student loans until after the completion of postgraduate training
Federal tax-deductible interest on all medical student debt interest
The AAFP continues to support the National Health Service Corps, an organization that offers scholarships or loan repayment as incentives for physicians to work in primary care settings in rural and underserved areas.
