Financing graduate medical education: challenges for training the next generation of electrophysiologists

The system for graduate medical education (GME) in the USA is vital to maintaining a well-trained physician population to meet the needs of the nation. The funding of this system over the last several decades has been complicated, and the government's role in funding GME is controversial. In this paper, the current mechanisms for funding residency and fellowship training are outlined as well as proposed changes to system. The current system has made funding electrophysiology training difficult, and the proposed changes have profound implications. It is important for the electrophysiology community to be educated and advocate for electrophysiology fellowship training such that Americans continue to have appropriate access to arrhythmia care.