Alternatives in Medical Education in the South: Supply, Distribution, and Cost

The findings of studies on the status of medical education in the South and the deliberations of a regional conference "Alternatives in Medical Education in the South" held in Atlanta, December 15-16, 1980 are summarized in this publication. The following issues are addressed: (1) the national picture of the future supply of physicians; (2) physical supply in the south; (3) distribution of physicians; (4) increasing the number of black physicians in the south; (5) strategies for distributing physicians; and (6) issues in financing medical education. As a result of the near doubling of enrollments in the medical schools of the South and the reversal of the traditional out-migration of young physicians, the region is faced with the certainty of a surplus of physicians by 1990 and beyond, especially in the surgical specialities. Projections show that despite the overall surplus, problems will still remain in the distribution of physicians to rural areas, inner city areas, primary care specialties, and public agencies. Shortages of black physicians in proportion to the part of the population that is black will also continue. (JN)