Average med school debt up by more than 5%
The average debt of graduating medical students increased in 2004 by 5.3 percent, according to data recently released by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The average educational debt of indebted graduates of the class of 2004 (including pre-med borrowing) was $115,218. The data, which come from the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire, also indicate that 63 percent of graduates have debt of at least $100,000. This information, published in the October 2004 "Medical Student Education: Cost, Debt and Resident Stipend Facts Card," will be made available both in print and online.

In April, the AAMC released a report on "Medical School Tuition and Young Physician Indebtedness" over the past 20 years. The results of that report are under consideration by the AAMC Working Group on Student Educational Costs and Debt, which is currently exploring ways to reduce medical education costs and enhance the ability of graduates to repay debt during residency and early practice. A copy of the complete report is available at http://www.aamc.org/publications.

Applicants sought for minority health policy fellowship
The Commonwealth Fund, a private healthcare foundation, and Harvard University are seeking applicants for the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy. The one-year program is a degree-granting, full-time fellowship beginning July 2005; the program leads to a M.P.H. degree at Harvard School of Public Health or a M.P.A. degree at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. The fellowship intends to prepare physicians for leadership roles in minority health and public health policy. U.S. citizen applicants must be board eligible or certified physicians with experience in minority health issues who intend to pursue a career in public health, health policy, or academia. Funding for the fellowship includes a $50,000 stipend, tuition and fees, health insurance, and other program expenses. For more information, visit http://www.mfdp.med.harvard.edu/fellows_faculty/cfhuf/.