Washington created the doctor shortage —here’s how to end it

This spring, more than 9,000 medical school graduates were left without a residency placement, a record high that exposes a deep flaw in how Washington funds physician training.

Without securing residencies, these physicians-to-be must either face a lost year and try again, take up research or administrative work, or leave medicine altogether. Meanwhile, the U.S. faces a growing physician shortage. And incredibly, federal law still restricts how many doctors can enter residency training each year.