Can They Help Reduce The U.S. Physician Shortage?

When Curly Marguerite entered the Olympic Halfpipe Final of Team USA after more than two years away from the competition due to an injury, she not only had Team USA gear, but also a stunning seven knee surgery scars. Sports Her teammate Chris Mazdzer also defends the 2018 Olympic Luge Silver, which is out of her shoulder surgery. Doctors have helped dozens of athletes wearing Team USA Ralph Lauren recover their knees, ankles, and shoulders.

These athletes may have flown to Finland’s Mehirainen Sports Hospital for surgery with Dr. Lempinen or his world-renowned colleague. World-renowned athletes seek treatment there every year. However, Team USA cannot hire Dr. Lempinen to treat athletes at Team Headquarters in Park City. Even if Dr. Lempinen traveled with Team USA and could perform the same procedure at an Olympic village hospital before treating anyone in Utah, the state medical committee demanded repeated orthopedic training. did.

The state needs to enable qualified foreign trained physicians to practice medical care without repeating residents. Current rules mean that the state regularly refuses doctors who are eligible to serve patients abroad. Experienced physicians can help reduce the growing shortage of physicians in the United States, reduce the burden on expanded healthcare professionals, and improve overall patient care in the United States.

Despite world-recognized expertise, qualified physicians trained outside the United States or Canada will be repeatedly trained (long-term training at a medical college) due to the medical committee’s refusal. You cannot practice medical care in the United States without sacrificing a long career and allow equivalent training abroad. As a result, as Americans engage in more and more medical tourism and the world’s wealthiest, most powerful, and most physically talented individuals receive state-of-the-art care in hospitals around the world, regulations The same doctor is prohibited from treating everyday Americans at home.

Today, the United States faces a shortage of thousands of doctors. The shortage is projected to exceed 120,000 doctors by 2030. To make matters worse, about 40% of American doctors will reach retirement age by the same year.

This problem is currently felt most serious in rural areas, but will soon become a national reality. For example, Wisconsin already has a shortage of primary care physicians in 33 counties, and experts predict that by 2030 there will be a shortage of 2,000 physicians.

These shortages mean longer wait times, less doctor consultation, and more burnout for medical professionals. The caregiver is already exhausted after two years of caring for the COVID patient, in addition to the normal workload.

The limited number of living slots for new doctors exacerbates the shortage. Medical graduates must “match” and complete training in their chosen discipline before practicing without supervision. But last year alone, about 2,200 senior medical students in the United States did not fit into the training program. Requiring internationally trained physicians to repeat training before training in the United States only increases the number of American medical graduates who are unable to find residents, yet overall US physicians. It does not increase the supply.

We must open the door so that the best doctors in the world can practice medical care in the United States. The state should remove the requirement for international physicians to repeat training while retaining the authority of the state’s physician license committee to ensure that physicians have the necessary skills and experience. Common-sense legislators in Arizona, Missouri, and Wisconsin have proposed exactly that, and other states should follow suit. These reforms can save lives by increasing access to care, especially primary care, without sacrificing quality.

At the Winter Olympics, world-class athletes like Curly and Chris soared over the snow, and Abbey Roke made history as the first indigenous woman to skate in Team USA Hockey. Also on display are the work of doctors to help these great athletes recover from their injuries and pursue a competitive passion. The state can streamline the process so that world-class international physicians can provide healing power to Americans at home, as well as those on the team and those who have the resources to travel abroad. Must be.

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Josh Archambault (@josharchambault) Is the founder of President’s Lane Consulting and the Cicero Institute (@InstituteCicero) And Pioneer Institute (@PioneerBoston).

Jonathan Wolfson is Chief Legal Officer and Policy Director at the Cicero Institute, focusing on research on healthcare and regulatory policies. He previously headed the US Department of Labor policy office.