A statement released by Jeremy A. Lazarus, M.D., President of the American Medical Association, is seeking to raise awareness about the physician shortage. "Today, on Match Day, thousands of medical students will learn where they will complete their graduate medical education (GME), known as residency training. But because the number of residency positions has lagged far behind the growth in medical school expansion and enrollment, many students won't match to a residency program. To help address this gap, legislation was introduced this week in both houses of Congress to create new residency positions. "Workforce experts predict that the U.S. will face a shortage of 130,000 physicians across all specialties by 2025. This shortage will be exacerbated by the increased demand on our health care delivery system as more seniors enroll in Medicare and newly insured Americans seek access to care. "The American Medical Association applauds the leadership of Senators Bill Nelson, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid and Representatives Aaron Schock and Allyson Schwartz for introducing legislation to address physician shortages and create additional GME positions to ensure patient access to care. "We will continue to work with members of Congress to advance this important issue to meet the nation's need for more physicians. In keeping with the AMA's historic leadership in physician education at all levels, we are also working to strategically reshape physician education in the United States to meet current and future workforce needs. " [Source: AMA-ASSN]