Graduate medical education consortia: expectations and experiences

Graduate medical education (GME) consortia are formal associations of medical schools, teaching hospitals, and other organizations involved in residency training, with central support, direction, and coordination allowing members to function collectively. GME consortia are not well documented in the literature, although they are included in many GME reform proposals. Proponents expect consortia to improve the organizational structure and governance of residency training programs and, through local coordination and possibly the allocation of resources, to help members meet national workforce goals regarding both numbers and practice locations for generalist and specialist physicians. The authors contrast the expectations of educators and policymakers for the future performance of GME consortia with the experiences of 36 functioning consortia, gathered in a 1993 national survey conducted by the Maine Medical Center and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Respondents account for nearly 10% of all residency training programs and 17% of all residents nationwide. The participating consortia differ markedly in their structures, functions, and other features, although nearly 85% have been convened by medical schools and closely affiliated hospitals. Fewer than half function with governing boards; 40% offer a single integrated residency training program in each discipline; and 58% allocate resources. A common concern of consortium members was physician distribution by specialty, but only 31% identified "increasing the number of generalist physicians" as a major accomplishment to date. To improve their performance, consortium participants call for greater commitment and leadership from the medical school and university, better definition of the community's GME needs, more information about the flow of GME funds locally, greater authority to allocate resources, and incentives for shifting allegiances from individual institutions to the consortium community as a whole.