1245 



showing estimates ranging from a surplus of 21,700 to a deficit of 

 65,000 by 1975, and the'^HEW estimate that by 1980 physician supply 

 would be adequate perhaps even in surplus. Mr. Kennedy rejected 

 outright the "notion that this Nation magically has enough health 

 professionals, though it may have enough of certain kinds of health 

 professionals.'" Nor would he accept the "notion that the time has 

 come for the Federal Government to phase out its support for these 

 institutions and their students." Such a policy on the eve of enacting 

 national health insurance, he declared, "is irresponsible." 



A central issue under consideration, Mr. Kennedy continued, was 

 the "Nation's growing reliance" upon FlVlGs "who are too frequently 

 licensed to practice their profession when they are not adequately 

 qualified." The effect of this inflow of foreign medical man-power has 

 been to produce "a dual class system of health care in the Nation" 

 through defective licensing and certification procedures. (The other 

 points discussed were the matter of maldistribution of health man- 

 power, the excess of medical specialists, and the insufficiency of pri- 

 mary care doctors.) 



Mr. Kennedy presented data, appearing in this study, on such mat- 

 ters as the growing number of FjMGs, questions of their professional 

 (Uialifications, and corrpctive action in the entire health care field 

 through wide-ranging Federal Government support of the Nation's 

 liealth professions. "The numbpr of FMGs entering the United States 

 each year is growing, not leveling or tapering off," the Senator said. 

 Some experts estimate that in the near future FMGs will constitute 

 approximately one-third of all physicians practicing in the United 

 States. "This is an intolerable situation which must be considered 

 carefully," Mr. Kennedy exclaimed. To underscore the anomalj^ of 

 this practice, the Senator stated that "less than half the number of 

 individuals applying to U.S. medical schools are accepted for enroll- 

 ment." In the academic year 1972-73, only 38 percent of those apply- 

 ing were admitted. "Increasing numbers of U.S. citizens rejected by 

 U.S. medical schools," he declared, "are turning to foreign medical 

 schools." An estimated 6,000 Americans were now studying medicine 

 abroad. 



(Among the corrective measures proposed by Senator Kennedy, in 

 addition to those designed generally to remedy the Nation's health 

 manpower problems, were : 



(1. to establish national standards for licensure, thus maintaining 

 the traditionally high standards of American medical and dental quali- 

 fications; and 



(2. to limit the number of postgraduate trainee positions to 110 

 percent of the number of graduates from U.S. medical and osteopathic 

 schools in any year, insuring a limited and appropriate balance of 

 postgraduate training positions in the various medical specialty and 

 subspecialty areas, nationwide and regionally. The net effect would 

 be to limit to 10 percent the postgraduate positions available for 

 FMGs, who now comprise 30 percent of the M.D.s in postgraduate 

 training, presumably with the expectation of reducing their inflow.) 



Thus, qualified American premedical students are denied the pursuit 

 of one of the most prestigious careers American society has to offer and,. 



