VA Increases Medical Ed Support

VA Increases Medical Ed Support

Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will increase its support for medical education in the 2007-2008 academic year, adding 2,000 positions for advanced residency training during the next five years. More than 31,000 medical residents and 16,000 medical students receive some of their training in VA each year. Through its affiliations with medical schools and universities, VA is the largest provider of health care training in the nation. Currently, 130 VA medical facilities are affiliated with medical schools. These training positions address VA’s critical needs and provide skilled health care professionals. The additional resident positions also will encourage innovation in education that will improve patient care, enable physicians in different disciplines to work together and will incorporate state-of-the-art models of clinical care.