[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 27, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




VETERANS-SPECIFIC EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW'S MEDICAL DOCTORS (VET MD) ACT

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                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 27, 2016

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that 
addresses two problems: the disparity in access to clinical observation 
experiences for pre-medical school students and the severe shortage of 
physicians at VA hospitals. By creating a pre-med observation 
(shadowing) program within the VA, we both expand access to medical 
observation opportunities, particularly for underrepresented 
populations such as minority or rural-based students, and expose 
America's future doctors to the Veteran health system, increasing 
awareness of job opportunities within the VA.
  When applying to medical school, students who have spent time 
observing, or shadowing, physicians in a clinical setting have an 
advantage both with admissions and in deciding on a future specialty. 
It is recommended applicants have more than 40 hours of observational 
experience to be competitive. Opportunities to observe however are 
limited and vary widely between universities and hospitals.
  Students who are from, or attend schools in rural areas, who are from 
low economic status, or whose families lack connections within the 
medical community often find it harder to attain observation hours and 
are disadvantaged in medical school admissions, contributing to the 
lack of diversity in our medical professions. Universities and 
hospitals with organized pre-med experience or clinician observation 
programs report having a significantly more diversified participation 
pool than those who rely purely on personal connections to attain 
observation opportunities.
  On the medical side, the VA is chronically short physicians. In fact, 
more than 5,100 additional physicians are needed across the VA system 
as of August 2015, and annually they recruit for over 41,000 positions 
throughout their medical facilities. This leads to increased wait times 
and decreased patient care. To fill these positions, the VA must 
compete with private hospitals that often are able to make more 
lucrative offers to prospective hires.
  By incorporating an organized clinician observation program into the 
VA, future physicians will be exposed to the unique problems of U.S. 
veteran healthcare and the VA will create a pool of potential medical 
professional recruits. Early exposure will encourage future 
participation either as veteran physicians themselves or advocates 
within the community. The VA will simultaneously be helping the next 
generation of physicians gain valuable experience and addressing their 
physician shortage problem.

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