Our Advocacy
American Society of Physicians is committed to ending the physician shortage and proposing and implementing sustainable solutions that would provide quality care to patients by qualified healthcare professionals.
​
The following statements summarize our advocacy efforts and our public positions on policies that affect healthcare in the United States.
​
See which states have already passed licensure for medical graduates
​
​
​
Find out if your state is proposing similar legislation
​
​
​
Read our statements:
THE PROBLEM:
Not Enough Residency Positions
Each year, ~10,000 medical graduates are unable to obtain a residency position.
In the process of becoming an MD, DO, or MBBS, a medical graduate accrues thousands of hours of clinical practice, but is unable to obtain a license to practice unless accepted into a residency program.
Upon successful completion of medical school, medical graduates must pass several examinations and pay thousands of dollars into a system that does not guarantee them a training position - the only way to be licensed in the United States.
There are several bills in the House and Senate that would increase the number of residency positions in high need areas and primary care but progress has been slow.
There are a few states that have adopted the Assistant/Associate Physician program. In Missouri, it has been largely successful in increasing access to care in rural and underserved communities. It also provides opportunities for medical graduates to be licensed to practice in primary care under the supervision of a board-certified physician who has full practice authority.
