US medical school graduates who earned their degrees last year owe a median sum of US$155,000, a 53% increase since 1998, according to a report released by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) this month. It says that a medical resident's average monthly loan payment could top $1,700 with a debt of that amount.

Meanwhile, legislation has been introduced in Congress that would increase the number of Medicare-supported training positions for medical residents. Under the proposals, the number of federally supported training posts would grow from the current 100,000 — a cap in place since 1997 — to about 115,000. The GAO report says that although medical students' debt is rising, many are benefiting from specializing in lucrative fields.