Dear Colleagues:

In the weeks following another successful resident match here at BWH, I am delighted in the knowledge that we continue to attract some of the very best young talent in the nation. But, amidst our pride and satisfaction, there is a more ominous concern that is beginning to shape the landscape of medical education.

Nationally, there has been a steadily declining applicant pool. Over the past five years, residency applications have declined 22 percent from 46,767 to 37,092 and the average debt facing applicants is nearly $100,000. Surgery, in particular, has been hit hard and I would recommend an article on the topic recently published in the March 2002 issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, by Michael Zinner, MD, chairman, Department of Surgery.

What is driving this trend? Declining physician compensation, a competitive environment, lack of institutional capital, escalating pharmaceutical expenses, labor costs and institutional reimbursement all have a role to play.

We will continue to lobby Congress and the State House for fair reimbursement of costs as we continue to rely upon the strength of our resolve and enthusiasm for our profession. Through persistence and dedicated efforts to improve the quality of physician worklife we can battle this trend and reinvigorate our institutions as models of teaching excellence by building upon the strengths and talents of the very people we’ve just now welcomed to our community.

Sincerely,

Andy Whittemore, MD
Chief Medical Officer