Perspectives and analysis on health policy, the health care workforce, medical education, technology, and health system strategy.
A proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee could affect a physician pathway used by rural and underserved communities, particularly in primary care and key subspecialties. The commentary considers more targeted enforcement and expanded waiver programs as alternatives.
Physician retention requires more than reducing burnout. Compensation, staffing, workflow, autonomy, and operational support must align with sustainable careers if health systems want clinicians to stay and preserve access to care.
Why Medicare for All on the left and eliminating insurance on the right are both unlikely to be achievable—and why health policy should focus on helping people get the care they need today.
How can professionalism in medicine evolve along with technology and culture? Reflections from the 2025 Alpha Omega Alpha “Generational Complexity in Professionalism” symposium.
State abortion restrictions may influence where physicians choose to train and practice, with implications for workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities. The article considers how policy differences can shape recruitment and retention.
After the Supreme Court's 2023 admissions ruling, medical schools saw declines among groups underrepresented in medicine. Continued evidence and mission-focused admissions strategies matter because who enters medicine affects workforce distribution, trust, and patient care.
The United States trails other wealthy OECD nations in life expectancy, driven substantially by deaths from firearms, drug overdoses, and alcohol. The commentary considers what these preventable causes of death mean for American health policy.
The commentary considers how practical health policy education could help medical students understand the forces shaping access, cost, quality, workforce, and clinical practice—and participate thoughtfully in public debates that increasingly involve physicians.
Health system consolidation cannot be assessed in isolation. Regulation should account for insurer consolidation and other market forces that can make scale necessary for providers even when bigger is not inherently better.
Competency-based medical education should connect training assessments with patient outcomes and professional practice, while giving educators, health systems, and regulators the flexibility and resources to help physicians achieve proficiency throughout their careers.
Four decades of enrollment data show major progress toward gender parity in medical schools but persistent underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students.
A case study of how one physician incorporated artificial intelligence selectively, using it where it added clinical value while recognizing that judgment, workflow, responsibility, and patient context still constrain adoption.
Academic medical centers cannot be understood by examining graduate medical education funding in isolation. Their education, research, complex clinical care, and community missions are financially intertwined and require a broader view of costs and support.