M edical students continue to rely heavily on sources of financial assistance to fund the costs of their medical education. Data on medical student financial assistance were obtained from responses to Part 1-B of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education Annual Medical School Questionnaire and from the Institutional Profile System of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Schools report annually the sources of financial assistance used by their students and the total amount of assistance from all scholarship, grant, and loan programs. Additional data regarding levels of student indebtedness are also obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire, which is administered annually to medical school seniors.
Loans continue to account for the major portion of aid available to students.
The Table displays the various loan sources used by medical students. The increased reliance on loans as a means of financing medical education has resulted in elevated educational debt levels for medical school graduates. There are significant differences in debt levels for graduates of public and private medical schools. All Rights Reserved.