title: The impact of educational loan burden on housestaff career decisions.
abstract: The past decade has seen declining interest in primary care medicine and a dramatic increase in the cost of a medical degree. Seventy-nine percent of housestaff in an internal medicine residency program responded to a survey to determine whether medical school loan burden was related to career choice in a primary care field or specialty area. Overall mean indebtedness was $45,185 (median $40,000). Thirty-eight percent of residents with debts < $40,000 chose a career in primary care, compared with 10% with debts > $40,000 (chi square = 9.44, p < 0.01). Fourteen percent of those with debts < 40,000 and 59% with debts > $40,000 stated that financial conditions had a moderate to marked impact on their career decision making. Excessive loan burden has a significant influence on residents' career decision making and a negative influence on choosing careers in primary care internal medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerletty
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Byrd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013038:Specialization; D014146:Training Support