EAST PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria-area medical leader says the pipeline to getting young people into the field is strong.
University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria Dean Meenakshy Aiyer spoke in front of East Peoria Chamber of Commerce members Friday morning.
Aiyer says UIC Peoria received more than 11,000 applications last year for 300 spots. She adds that classes are more diverse now, with more women entering the medical fields, and have students spread out across the country in residencies and its Rural Student Physician Program.
“The interest in medicine in the younger generation is still strong, so I’d like to believe that the future of medicine with these young physicians coming to medical school is still strong,” Aiyan.
But she notes that one challenger is student debt, with UIC Peoria students averaging around $220,000 in student debt.
Concerns were also raised about potential revenue cuts. Aiyer says they have more than 45,000 patient encounters each year, with Medicaid and Medicare making up 63% of its billing. Carle Health President Keith Knepp also raised concerns about decreased grant funding as some of the financial challenges they face.
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