Medical students who went into debt could figure on owing $126,714 in 2007 on average, up from $88,331 in 2000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. You can figure the debt tab has only gone up since then. Such statistics are being cited by American Medical Association as docs prepare for their annual confab in Chicago next week. There are hundreds of policy recommendations on the agenda — including some strategies aimed at reducing the med-student debt. Suggestions under consideration would take approval by powers greater than the AMA. They include providing tax deductibility for tuition and loans, and expanding state and federal scholarship opportunities. But another cost-cutting approach is investigating ways to reduce

the length of medical schooling—perhaps through competency-based curriculums , or through combined B.A./M.D. programs. Some schools already offer a variety of such combination programs, though only a handful actually shorten the total length of training. For those that normally don’t worry about the school loans carried by docs, remember that the med school debt load can have broader implications. It’s one of the most common reasons given for problems like the shortage of physicians and the skewing of medical professionals toward specialty practices . Read more about med-student debt in this NEJM article . Image: iStockphoto

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AMA Looks to Put Brakes on Debt Load of Med Students