Bill to bypass residencies on hold
DeSteph’s legislation aimed to reduce health care staffing shortages
A study meant to find a best way to expand the state’s health workforce was not completed over the past year, though it was supposed to be after a 2022 General Assembly vote.
State Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, had planned to reintroduce the bill that would allow medical school graduates who have passed board exams to serve under doctors for a couple years in lieu of completing residencies. After discussions in the General Assembly last session, the bill was continued to this year’s session with a letter requesting a study from the Virginia
Department of
Health Professions.
However, the department never received the request to perform the study because of a mistake in the clerk’s office of the Education & Health Committee, according to a DHP spokesperson. DeSteph said he is “a little frustrated” the study did not get done but understands these things happen.
Staffing has become a key issue for health providers, and many identify the state’s lack of residencies as a bottleneck to the supply of physicians.
Though the state has expanded its medical school classes, it has not expanded its residencies, ending with a funnel-type situation that has led to thousands of medical school graduates who have passed board exams but are sidelined while they wait for a residency opportunity, DeSteph said.
The lack of residencies means that those with medical training will seek residencies in other states or other states with the associate physician programs, according to DeSteph. Data has also shown that doctors tend to put down roots in
these communities, meaning that many doctors who leave Virginia for these new opportunities may not return.
Dr. Faarina Khan, a doctor in training in Oregon, was an associate physician in Missouri where the idea for the position began, she said. She is also president of the board of the National Association of Assistant/Associate Physicians.
“Although there is currently close to 400 licensees at this time as per Missouri medical board records available online, there is unfortunately a scarcity of validated data highlighting their true impact on health care as neither the Missouri medical board nor other health care entities within Missouri have endeavored to collect any as of yet,” said Khan in an email. “This is something the organizations I work with are keenly aware of and hope to address moving forward.”