Numerous policy shifts in recent weeks are expected to drastically affect medical schools and residency programs over the next five years, including caps on federal student loans and cuts to research programs.
Three physicians joined Becker’s to share their thoughts as to how medical schools and residency programs will change over the next five years.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Kenneth Elconin MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at Orthopedic Surgery Medical Group (Los Angeles): This is a difficult question and it seems that in some areas double degrees are being given such as [master’s of business administration] and [master’s of public health]. Doctors are branching out into other fields looking for their expertise. Doctors need to be trained in all the basics we learned, plus everything new such as AI, genetics, immunotherapy etc. Most doctors will probably need to be specialists and primary care [is] probably left to the PAs and nurse practitioners with the MDs providing consultation and/or supervision.
Harry Haus, MD. Medical Director of Dr. Haus & Associates (Erie, Pa.): Problem-based learning is replacing lectures at most DO and MD schools. Human cadavers are being eliminated for anatomy and pathology classes. They are replaced by learning on a computer. Mannequins are being used more in place of patients for learning. Technology and AI are increasingly being used. With the new law limiting total student loans to [$200,000], more students will sign contracts to work at a location after medical school and have that location pay for the two or three years of medical school. There is a slight chance medical schools will become three years to address the high-cost of medical school and the physician shortages.
Brian Neal, MD. Attending Physician of Huntington Hospital and South Shore Emergency Department of Northwell Health (Huntington, N.Y.): Medical school training should increasingly emphasize early and active patient involvement. Integrating first-year medical students into hospital settings where they can engage directly with patients and learn hospital medicine processes would bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and the art of medicine. While foundational medical knowledge can be acquired independently, early clinical exposure allows students to observe real-life applications, navigating complex hospital systems and diverse patient scenarios. Additionally, medical education must place greater emphasis on evidence-based medicine and training students on how to efficiently access and interpret evolving medical literature and guidelines. Early patient interaction also fosters the development of vital physician-patient communication skills, allowing students to understand the variability in diagnoses, patient temperaments and cultural backgrounds. This holistic approach would better prepare future physicians for the dynamic clinical environment.
