Making sense of federal GME reforms: the impact on osteopathic medicine

Physician workforce issues, particularly the generalist/specialist mix, surfaced as a major component of the healthcare reform debate in the last Congress. Both of the major bills before the Congress at the end of the session would have legislated reforms in graduate medical education designed to control the cost, mix, and supply of physician manpower. This article examines the graduate medical education reform measures proposed in the Gephardt (House) and Mitchell (Senate) bills and identifies elements of agreement. Discussion focuses on the potential for reforms that could be enacted in the new Congress, with a look at the implications for the osteopathic medical profession. A second article, to appear in next month's issue, will focus on recommendations for secondary reforms to prepare osteopathic medical institutions for the changing graduate medical education environment. Such a changing environment requires comprehensive reevaluation in all of the institutions of osteopathic medicine--the colleges, the hospitals, and the American Osteopathic Association.