An article in the March 28 edition of our Modern Physician newsletter reviewed how the state budget crisis in Illinois threatened to delay the processing of medical license applications for new doctors starting their residency training July 1 at the state's teaching hospitals. Other reports on how more physicians are leaving the profession or wouldn't recommend medicine as a career for their children left me wondering how any medical student in their right mind would choose Illinois as the place where they would want to start their career.
But it turns out that Illinois residency programs had no problem attracting applicants. Students were advised that there would always be some kind of unusual circumstance or looming crisis, so they should go where they want to go. This would avoid the problem of living with the regret of not following their hearts.
It seems to have worked. YouTube videos of the March 15 Match Day, when graduates learned where they will be training, inspired hope in this reporter for the future of medicine. Watch reactions at the University of Illinois Chicago, University of Chicago, Rush University, and Northwestern University.
Follow Andis Robeznieks on Twitter: @MHARobeznieks.
