Community Voices

Sharing your perspective on policy issues is a powerful way to advocate on behalf of yourself, patients, and others in the medical community who have been impacted by various federal programs, initiatives, and legislation. It also shows policymakers how critical these programs are to ensuring the health of our patients, communities, and the health care workforce.

The AAMC Action community collects stories year-round to serve as powerful reminders of why it’s important to advocate for Graduate Medical Education (GME), medical research, health equity, and other key issues. View the unique insights from other community members below.

Share with Your Community

Join other AAMC Action community members who help advocate for the academic medicine community and share your connection to the below issues.

I am training to be an oncologist and hope to work in the southeast United States, where there is both a higher incidence of cancer and lower density of practicing physicians. Without PSLF, it will be much more difficult to manage my loan burden. It is important that this funding mechanism be preserved for the good of patients in the United States.
- Mark
I wanted to be a physician since I was five years old. I became a pediatric endocrinologist and love my field. I was excited when the Affordable Care Act included a provision for 3 years of loan repayment for pediatric subspecialists. This was an excellent idea since we often have lower salaries than general pediatricians despite 3 additional years of training and are often based at academic centers that provide teaching to the next generation of physicians while caring for the underserved. Unfortunately, that provision was never funded so I am now relying on Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
- Kristi
I entered medicine to work with underserved communities. The reality is that to do that work, you often take a considerable pay cut. The interest rates on my federal student loans are much higher than most home and car loans. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is one reason why I chose to enter medicine. If we don't keep PSLF, many will lose the incentive to work with those who have the greatest need.
- Darshan
I'm the first doctor from a middle class family, and the amount of loans I had to take out to attend medical school is staggering. I am currently a resident and would like to eventually work in an academic center where I can contribute to research and help train the next generation of physicians. Without PSLF, I may be forced to give up that dream and take a job in private practice with a higher salary just to be able to pay off my loans. I also am having to delay potentially having children, because I'm not sure if I could afford to pay for a child while also paying off my staggering debt from medical school. PSLF is very important for keeping a more diverse population in medical school, rather than just a long line of the same sort of people from rich families who can cover their costs.
- Laurie
I decided to become a doctor to build longitudinal relationships with my patients and with my community so that we can achieve health in its most inclusive definition: physical, mental, and emotional health in the setting of a more equitable society. My family and I have never been rich though, and one of the things that allowed me to pursue my dream was the opportunity to have my loans forgiven.
- Yang
I am passionate to advocate for patients who are disadvantaged and underserved in medicine. I grew up socioeconomically disadvantaged and in a Spanish-speaking home. I experienced firsthand the disparities that currently exist in the medical field. Because of my background and personal experiences I am eager to be an advocate and positively influence those patients in greater need of a voice. PSLF will provide a feasible pathway for me to be able to provide this service to our constantly changing patient community.
- Claudia
Load More