IOM report calls for GME overhaul

Since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs in 1965, the public has provided tens of billions of dollars to fund graduate medical education (GME), the period of residency and fellowship provided to physicians after they receive a medical degree. Although the scale of government support for physician training far exceeds that for any other profession, there is a striking absence of transparency and accountability in the GME financing system for producing the types of physicians that the nation needs, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

An IOM-convened committee conducted an independent review of the governance and financing of the GME system, and concluded there is “an unquestionable imperative” to assess and optimize the efficacy of the public investment in GME. In the report, “Graduate Medical Education That Meets the Nation's Health Needs,” the committee recommended significant changes to GME financing and governance to address current deficiencies and better shape the physician workforce for the future.

Source: IOM