Physician legislator and creator of ‘assistant physician’ role in Missouri discusses steps to improve physician shortages

Rebekah Bernard MD and Niran Al-Agba MD | 1/22/2024

There is no doubt that America is facing a physician shortage, due in large part to a lack of residency positions, the mandatory 1-3 years that medical school graduates must complete to receive a license to practice medicine. Today we are talking about a proposed solution to this problem—a new professional designation for unmatched medical school graduates called the “Assistant Physician” (AP).

I am joined by Dr. Keith Frederick, the originator of the first legislation to create the AP role, and Dr. Liz Troilo, who worked as an AP before becoming a board-certified family physician.

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