Is Merit-Based Financial Aid Detrimental to the Future of American Medicine?

In a commentary published on the website of the New England Journal of Medicine, scholars from Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and Stanford University warn that the increase use of merit-based financial aid to attract candidates to medical school may be detrimental to the future of medicine in the United States.

Typically, four years of medical school can cost $250,000 or more. Many medical schools offer merit-based aid to attract candidates with the highest undergraduate grade point averages and scores on the Medical College Admission Test.

Roy Ziegelstein, vice dean for education at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, points out that “assuming all institutions have a finite pool of money for aid, the more dollars used for merit means fewer dollars are left for those with financial need.” A smaller pool of need-based aid will make it difficult to “train a diverse group of physicians who reflect the populations they serve and serve the needs of those populations,” Dr. Ziegelstein adds.

The commentary reports that the number of students who graduate with no medical school debt has nearly doubled in the past five years. This suggests the increased use of merit-based aid. In contrast, the number of students who graduate with more than $300,000 in debt has also doubled. This shows that those with financial need are increasing having difficulty obtaining need-based aid.

Dr. Ziegelstein explains that “medicine is a public trust, and we are seeing increasing need for primary care physicians and geriatricians to care for our aging population. If merit aid creates a situation, even if unintended, that makes it more difficult for students to choose these lower-paying specialties, then this affects our ability as a profession to meet our responsibility as a public trust.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs