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In an ever-evolving world driven by technology, <keyword id="19904566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="keywords">artificial intelligence</keyword> (AI) has been making waves in nearly every sector. Workers are constantly threatened by the prospect of “AI taking their jobs”. But what if we told you that the tool could just as easily dominate our classrooms as well? William Hersh, M.D., a seasoned professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University (OHSU), was particularly intrigued by AI's growing influence in his field. As a medical informatics educator, he sought to explore just how well <keyword id="19896272" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="generative-AI" source="keywords">generative AI</keyword> could compete with his human students. The results? Surprising, to say the least. <h2>An experiment in education</h2>Hersh’s curiosity led him to conduct an experiment where he pitted six large-language <keyword id="19924380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-models" source="keywords">AI models</keyword> — including ChatGPT — against students enrolled in his introductory course on biomedical and health informatics. The goal was to see how AI would perform when tasked with the same assessments as his students. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01251-0">findings</a>, published in npj <keyword id="20320357" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-medicine" source="keywords">Digital Medicine</keyword>, showed that AI models outperformed up to 75% of the class. "This does raise concern about cheating, but there is a larger issue here," Hersh commented. "How do we know that our students are actually learning and mastering the knowledge and skills they need for their future professional work?" <h2>The role of <keyword id="23201889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-in-knowledge-based-learning" source="Orion">AI in knowledge-based learning</keyword></h2>The study analysed the performance of 139 students who took the course in 2023, with AI models tackling multiple-choice questions and short-answer prompts. The AI models scored impressively, landing in the top 50th to 75th percentile. According to Hersh, these results raise essential questions about the future of student assessment, particularly in knowledge-heavy subjects like biomedical informatics. Although the AI excelled in this particular course, Hersh was quick to point out that generative models might not fare as well in more hands-on or participatory academic settings, where critical thinking and complex skills development are vital. For Hersh, this balance between mastering knowledge and applying it in real-world scenarios is at the heart of <keyword id="19918893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medical-education" source="keywords">medical education</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113364057" title="AI is entering classrooms in Italy, new learning tools to be tested in 15 classrooms across four regions" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>A new era for medical students</h2>The AI's performance has stirred up an age-old debate in the academic community: how much information should students be expected to memorise versus being able to access through technological tools? Hersh recalls a time in medical school when one of his attending physicians insisted that every doctor should carry all medical knowledge "in their head." Even back then, Hersh saw the limitations of such an approach. "The knowledge base of medicine has long surpassed the capacity of the human brain to memorise it all," he noted, emphasising the importance of making smart use of available technology. <h2>Striking the right balance </h2>Despite the impressive capabilities of AI, Hersh remains confident that medicine — and most academic disciplines — will always require a "human touch." Critical decision-making, nuanced judgement calls, and compassionate patient care cannot be fully replaced by machines. "There are a lot of things that healthcare professionals do that are pretty straightforward, but there are those instances where it gets more complicated and you have to make judgement calls," Hersh said. "That's when it helps to have that broader perspective." As fall classes approach, Hersh isn’t worried about AI encouraging cheating. His solution? Continuously updating the curriculum and ensuring that assessments go beyond what AI can quickly retrieve. "In any scientific field, there are new advancements all the time," he remarked. "Large-language models aren’t necessarily up to date on all of it." Hersh’s experiment underscores the broader implications of <keyword id="8581687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-in-education" source="Orion">AI in education</keyword>. While AI has the potential to assist in areas such as medical knowledge recall, it cannot — and should not — replace the critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and human interaction that healthcare professionals need to succeed. As AI continues to evolve, so too will educational approaches, aiming to equip students with both a solid foundation of knowledge and the tools to navigate an increasingly AI-enhanced world. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113315283" title="Open AI’s latest ‘Strawberry’ will actually think before it acts!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

A medical professor pitted AI models against his students to see who would score better on his tests. The results were shocking!

The internet insists on calling a spade a spade. The internet will also pompously convince you that they have personally worked with a variety of spades and that they intimately understand how these fantastic tools curve precisely around their working edges for maximum utility. However, any amount or manner of squinting will also reveal that the tool they’re referring to, is in fact, a shovel. Despite the fact that humans today indubitably can access information like before in history, there is still a terrible misinformation pandemic afoot. When it isn’t producing dizzying Mandela Effects to reconcile with, it is mobilising the public with pitchforks, rallying them for a cause they didn’t care about until a week ago. A similar incident transpired during the recent 2024 Paris Olympics, where the identity of Algerian boxer <keyword id="22621786" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="imane-khelif" source="keywords">Imane Khelif</keyword> came under intense scrutiny after her historic gold — with some media outlets and influential personalities also aiding the uproar. Since the initial row dragged in high-profile figures such as <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elon-musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> and Trump, a leaked medical report has claimed to “confirm” Imane’s male-ness. This renewed public discourse on the matter, with various Indian media outlets once again casually labelling the athlete as “a man”. For example, a headline in the Hindustan Times ran, “Imane <keyword id="22633929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="khelif" source="keywords">Khelif</keyword>, Paris Olympics medalist, confirmed a man in leaked medical report”, and another article by Livemint claimed Khelif was "confirmed as man" following the leak of her medical details. Similar headlines were being carried by a host of mainstream outlets, including The Indian Express and Moneycontrol. Science suggests that there is a great deal of nuance to gender and identity, concepts that are misrepresented due to a lack of gender studies in traditional education. Reporting Khelif to be a man, based solely on reported biological characteristics is highly misleading when discussing both the medical and societal implications of gender identity. To clear the confusion, let’s look at the official definitions of gender, explore Khelif’s reported medical condition, and review the consequences of how media coverage can amplify misunderstandings and bias. <h2>Where the new controversy started</h2>The recent controversy began when a leaked medical report indicated that Khelif has XY chromosomes, internal testes, and lacks a uterus, potentially due to a rare genetic condition called 5-alpha reductase deficiency. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112218392" title="Imane Khelif: Is it accurate to label this female-born boxer as ‘biological male’ or ‘transgender’?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>This was nothing new, as a similar report had helped Khelif become the subject of substantial media and public scrutiny in the past as well. During the Olympics, however, statements from high-profile figures like former US President <keyword id="19918985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="keywords">Donald Trump</keyword> and author <keyword id="20260304" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jk-rowling" source="keywords">JK Rowling</keyword> — who insisted that Khelif was an ineligible man — helped catapult public discourse on gender and sports to astronomical levels. In response, Khelif filed a complaint in France against Trump, Rowling, and Elon Musk, citing cyber harassment and arguing that the comments about her identity amount to public harassment. Despite the reports and the outrage, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has upheld her eligibility to compete in the women’s division, acknowledging her identity as a woman. They based their decision on her lifelong identification as female and her history of competing as such, setting an example of inclusivity while recognising the complexities of gender and biological diversity. <h2>Difference between sex and gender</h2>Understanding Khelif’s case requires better clarity on the terms “sex” and “gender.” While the public may use them interchangeably, there are important differences that are rooted in many fields of science. Sex typically refers to biological differences — chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive anatomy. Gender, however, encompasses the social roles, behaviours, and identities that individuals embody, which may or may not align with their biological sex. A helpful way to think about this distinction is by analogy. Consider how some people have genetically blue eyes while others have brown eyes — these are inherent biological characteristics. However, people might choose to wear contact lenses to change their eye colour, much like how gender identity can vary depending on how individuals view themselves and how they are seen within society. Another popular — albeit somewhat controversial — manner of comparing the two is to think of a person’s sex as their “hardware”, while their gender is the “software” they run on. As such, a person’s biology might suggest certain physical traits, but their gender identity could align differently based on personal and cultural factors. To help them feel more at ease with their bodies, many individuals often undergo hormone therapy and counselling. Some even opt for “gender-affirming” surgeries to modify their physical appearances to match up with the gender they feel the most comfortable in. It is also key to recognise that, for some people, gender identity is flexible and can evolve over time. While biological sex generally remains constant, some people may feel more connected to a specific gender at certain points in their lives, while at other times, they feel aligned with another. This concept, called gender fluidity, shows that gender identity isn't always fixed, and is instead shaped by a blend of inner feelings and external experiences, meaning it can shift naturally over time. Supporting this fluidity helps people feel accepted and understood. <h2>Media language and its implications</h2>Due to these reasons, it is problematic when media outlets refer to Khelif as a "man" or "confirmed as man" in their headlines, which is often the only section of the news most read nowadays. These titles communicate to the general public that biology alone dictates gender identity, a stance inconsistent with widely accepted definitions and understandings of gender today. For instance, even the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword> (WHO) differentiates between sex and gender based on the biological and socially constructed characteristics discussed earlier, insisting that calling someone a man based on sex-linked traits alone oversimplifies their identity and disregards personal self-identification. Not just the WHO, major organisations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the United Nations differentiate sex and gender in a similar manner. Science aside, news outlets have a responsibility to handle sensitive issues like gender identity with nuance and respect. While transparency in reporting is essential, invasive coverage of Khelif's private medical details and sensationalised labelling may infringe upon her privacy. Moreover, by framing her gender identity in simplistic terms, the media risks reinforcing stereotypes and marginalising individuals with differences in sex development or gender diversity. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112240010" title="Dutee Chand extends support to under-fire boxer Imane Khalif following controversial win in Paris Olympics" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Overall, such rare, unique, and complex cases must be handled by the appropriate and informed authorities and should not be subject to a media trial. Ethically, a more respectful approach would involve using gender-neutral terms when discussing Khelif’s eligibility and refraining from language that disregards her self-identification as a woman. Such reporting would be in line with journalistic guidelines that emphasise minimising harm and respecting the dignity of individuals, especially those in vulnerable or marginalised communities. <h2>What even is 5-Alpha Reductase Deficiency?</h2>The condition reportedly attributed to Khelif, 5-alpha reductase deficiency, is a rare genetic condition. Individuals with this condition have XY chromosomes, but their bodies do not effectively convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen responsible for male genital development. Consequently, people with this condition often appear female or have ambiguous genitalia at birth, although they might undergo masculinising changes at puberty. Notably, people with 5-alpha reductase deficiency are typically assigned female at birth in societies with limited access to advanced genetic testing. Even Imane’s assigned gender was 'female' at birth, as per the official birth certificate shared by her family after the initial controversy during the Paris Olympics. Many of these individuals live as women and some self-identify as female throughout their lives. Thus, it would be misleading to categorically label them as male solely due to their chromosomal makeup, as this does not reflect their lived gender experience. The controversy surrounding Imane Khelif raises essential questions about gender identity and eligibility criteria in competitive sports. Many governing bodies are grappling with these issues, and it is clear that a single set of criteria may not accommodate the complexities of gender. Striking a balance between fair competition and the inclusion of all athletes will require policies informed by medical insights and a compassionate understanding of gender identity. Moving forward, it is essential that media, sports organisations, and the public alike strive to understand gender identity as an intricate intersection of biology, identity, and culture. Disclaimer: This article uses she/her pronouns considering that Imane identifies herself as female and a woman, and we were unable to find any public information on her preferred pronouns. However, this does not imply any form of judgement on the athlete’s gender identity. The decision on whether such athletes should be allowed to participate in competitions must be left to appropriate authorities and should not be made on social or digital media.

Imane Khelif Olympic gold controversy resurfaces. Is it accurate to term the Algerian boxer a “confirmed man”?

In the early 2000s, the business of for-profit college was booming. After the University of Phoenix's parent company, the Apollo Group, went public in 1994, others were close on its heels: Corinthian, ITT Tech, and Kaplan each had IPOs in the 1990s, netting tens of millions of dollars and setting off tremendous periods of growth.Soon, private equity firms caught wind of the opportunity. In 2003, there were just 18 for-profits owned by private equity firms; less than a decade later, that number had more than tripled, to 61. For-profit enrollments were also exploding, from a little more than 425,000 in 2000 to 1.7 million in 2012 — an increase of more than 300%. By contrast, public colleges had grown by just 31%.Increasingly the boom could be characterized as a Wall Street versus Main Street match-up. Even in the 1980s, the majority of for-profit programs were still mom-and-pop affairs: short-term certificate courses in subjects like cosmetology and truck driving. By the early years of the new millennium, students were attending Fortune 500 chain schools for full-fledged degrees in teaching, medical assisting, business, and psychology. In 2012 there were 21 publicly traded for-profit colleges, and less than a quarter of for-profit college students attended a mom-and-pop operation; the other 1.3 million went to publicly traded or private-equity-owned schools.The profits in this new world were beyond belief. One study found that the for-profit industry netted 55% profit margins between 2000 and 2012. In other words, for every dollar they took from students, 55 cents went to shareholders, with overall profits peaking in 2011 at $5 billion. Within a decade of Apollo's IPO, Phoenix's student body had grown tenfold, and thanks to students' easy federal money, the company was bringing in more than $1 billion a year.It was a win-win for just about everyone involved. The schools' profits came almost exclusively from federal grant and loan moneys. The federal government was bankrolling not only their and their investors' windfalls but also those of the financial institutions and guarantee agencies that did the lending and collecting under the Federal Family Education Loan program.But there were two groups left out of the bonanza: the public at large, whose tax dollars kept the machine running, and the students who got sacked with the bill.Then the evidence started coming in, yet again, that the for-profit corporate darlings of the '90s and aughts were no more sophisticated — certainly no more beneficial — than the shady computer schools that had preceded them. In 1970 there had been only 18,333 students enrolled at degree-granting for-profit schools, less than a quarter of a percent of the total number of college students. By 2009 there were 1.85 million — almost 10% of the total. The grift had grown a hundredfold."I had worked in the sales industry for many years," the admissions supervisor stated. "But Ashford [University] had the most aggressive sales floor I have ever seen." The supervisor's employer was putatively an accredited institution that offered a wide variety of bachelor's and advanced degrees; in reality it was effectively a money-printing operation.The school's many sordid practices were revealed in a 2017 lawsuit filed against the institution by the attorney general of California. Among them were the tales of Ashford's salespeople — aka "admissions counselors" — who made hundreds, sometimes even a thousand, cold calls a week. Still their managers berated and taunted them, forcing underperformers to stand all day, jangling keyrings with the ID cards of their fired former colleagues in their faces. Some of them cried; some had mental breakdowns; eventually most quit or were fired. Managers created "lowest performer lists" and then fired the bottom 10th of recruiters. When the salespeople did manage to land a mark, they celebrated by ringing cowbells or flapping plastic hand clappers. "The sales floor had a true boiler room atmosphere," said the supervisor, not unlike that "portrayed in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street." And if they all misled some naive fools in the process, say, a few hundred a month, well, that was just the cost of doing business. It wasn't like they were going to get fired for calling loans "grants" or promising a program would lead to high-paying jobs or guaranteeing that if things didn't work out at the school, any credits earned there would transfer elsewhere (as they almost certainly would not). One Ashford admissions counselor got 25 violations in eight months and the managers dished out only a slap on the wrist. The risk of punishment by the company's Compliance Department was low, but the reward was irresistibly high: admissions counselors got paid by the sale, and the best of them made in the six figures. Recruiters preyed on their marks' naiveté about higher education, convincing them that they couldn't receive their financial aid until well into the semester (when it would be too late to get a refund), lying about what their degrees would qualify them to do, and encouraging them to spend their federal aid funds on things like cars or expensive vacations (against federal law).Ashford University was owned by Bridgepoint Education, which was backed by Warburg Pincus, a private equity firm. And the secret to its success was a foolproof tactic that for-profit financiers had discovered for getting their business off the ground and gaining access to the all-important stream of federal aid money. The trick was to gobble up existing mom-and-pop proprietary schools — as well as small, financially struggling nonprofits — and to acquire their accreditations, assets as valuable as New York City taxi medallions.But for students, the business model was a bust — at Bridgepoint, just as at any number of for-profit giants. With only seven full-time faculty for almost 74,000 students, Bridgepoint, like many of its competitors, spent way more on recruiting than it did on instruction. And it showed: Only about a quarter of students in any given year went on to get their "diplomas" within six years (public and nonprofit schools consistently graduated about two-thirds of students in that timeframe). Those who did graduate tended to leave with a hefty amount of debt — nearly $35,000 on average. By 2017 almost 20% of alumni were unemployed, and almost half didn't do anything related to their degree.Five years after California filed suit against Ashford, a state superior court judge found that the company had engaged in widespread deception — estimating that over an 11-year period, its recruiters had spread misinformation in more than 1.2 million calls — and issued more than $22 million in penalties. (In 2024, an appeals court reduced the penalty by nearly $1 million).The beneficiaries of Bridgepoint's grift were its shareholders and managing partners. The losers were everybody else. And if theirs wasn't a particularly victimless crime, so what? Nobody cared much about students anyway. "You stop thinking of these students as people," said one recruiting manager.In 2010, Tom Harkin, chair of the Senate's education committee, began a two-year investigation into for-profit schools. Harkin's assessment of the sector was scathing. He declared for-profits expensive, exploitative, and concerned only with their own profits. "They are not focused on the success of their students," Harkin declared.A number of these schools were held by private equity firms like Goldman Sachs. In 2011, one Goldman-backed chain took in more than $350 million in Pell Grant funds and made a little more than that in profit. At a time when the federal government was refusing to help unemployed, down-on-their-luck, and defrauded borrowers, it was bailing out banks like Goldman Sachs twice over: They had already benefited from billions of dollars in Great Recession recovery funds, and now they were scooping up ill-begotten federal student aid via failing for-profit colleges. Fifteen of the schools Harkin's team investigated were publicly traded. These schools received, on average, 86% of their revenues from federal sources, right up to the line of what was legal. One of the ways they did this, Harkin found, was by recruiting veterans. In the years after World War II, legislators reinvented the GI Bill several times to reward veterans of later conflicts, like the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and to adapt to the evolving military, which had become an all-volunteer force in the 1970s. A loophole allowed them to count Defense Department moneys, including GI Bill funds, as non-federal money. In 2009, a Bloomberg News reporter uncovered a tactic used by Ashford University recruiters. They were targeting a wounded warriors unit at Camp Lejeune, signing up veterans with brain injuries who couldn't remember which classes they were taking. Each veteran was a lucrative prospect, allowing schools to gobble up yet more federal funds.And gobble they did. By 2010, Harkin found, for-profits were taking in a third of all GI Bill education funds. But even more shocking, federal money flowing to for-profit schools accounted for 25% of all federal student aid and 47% of eventual loan defaults. This, in spite of the fact that the schools enrolled little more than 10% of all American college students.So what happened to all the extra money for-profits took in? Harkin's investigation found that for-profits spent nearly a quarter of all revenues on marketing and recruiting and often paid their executives multimillion-dollar salaries, far above the average rates for public- or nonprofit-university presidents. Students' money enriched every corner of the for-profit industry except one: quality of instruction.<div type="image" title="Cover image of Burdened: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis by Ryann Liebenthal" height="2775" width="1838" msid="113224481" hostid="261" sizebytes="715136"></div>Economist Stephanie Riegg Cellini co-authored a sweeping study of for-profits, which found that students of for-profit certificate programs were slightly less likely to hold a job than their counterparts in public programs. In 2015, a separate study found that job applicants got just as many call-backs by listing no educational experience on their résumés as they did by listing for-profit credentials.When for-profit grads did find employment, Cellini found, they earned about a 10th less than the public program certificate holders. In fact, these for-profit students were actually worse off than if they hadn't gone to school at all. When taking into account their debt loads, for-profit graduates were projected to lose about $1,200 on their educational "investments" over the course of their lifetimes.In short, a simple equation summed up the for-profit ethos at this time: charge as much as federal student aid will supply, and cut costs to the bone. Everything in the middle could be harvested as profit. For-profit education was an industry on the dole.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/ryann-liebenthal">Ryann Liebenthal</a> is a writer and editor living in Oakland, California, who has reported extensively on the student loan crisis. She is the author of "BURDENED: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis."Excerpted from the book "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/burdened-ryann-liebenthal?variant=41472117669922">BURDENED: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis</a>." Copyright © 2024 by Ryann Liebenthal. From Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.

Wall Street tried getting into higher education. Disaster ensued. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A doctor shortage is projected to hit 86,000 by 2036. Rural communities already feel the impact.</li><li>Educational initiatives and congressional bills aim to combat issues like limited appointment slots.</li></ul>Every three to four months, Mellisa Case drives three and a half hours from her small town of Prineville, Oregon, to Portland to see her orthopedist for help with arthritis, a condition she believes she could have avoided at this stage in her life.In 2021, Case had surgery for a meniscus tear at an orthopedic center in Bend, an hour away from her home. However, she couldn't schedule appointments for follow-up care, which doctors consider necessary for proper recovery. For several months after her meniscus surgery, Case kept calling the center for an appointment with no success while her knee deteriorated.Now Case takes time off from work and spends up to $125 round trip on gas while traveling to Portland for arthritis care. Case said that symptoms like stiffness, swelling, and discomfort — which resulted from a lack of postsurgical medical support — could interfere with her sleep, gait, and ability to enjoy her hobbies like hiking and gardening."Until you've experienced not being able to see a doctor, you don't really realize how frustrating it is," Case, who is 53, told Business Insider. Eventually, she will need surgery for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nc-woman-plans-finally-getting-knee-surgery-after-winning-lottery-2023-1">full knee replacement</a>.Case said that she remains concerned that the overall lack of medical care in her community, as she's observed doctors retiring or leaving her area.Some of her family members and friends also struggle to find physicians close to home, Case said, so they have to drive long distances or wait for appointments.A March report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that the US would face a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hospital-wait-times-are-bad-physician-shortage-low-pay-2024-4">physician shortage</a> of up to 86,000 specialists and primary-care doctors by 2036.Michael Dill, the organization's director of workforce studies, said this estimate was conservative."The country needs hundreds of thousands of doctors to provide an equal amount of care to everyone, including minorities, those without medical insurance, and people living in rural areas," he told BI.An aging population, physician retirement, and the administrative challenges of running a practice contribute to the shortage and disproportionally affect vulnerable populations such as older people, those lacking transportation options, and people with disabilities, public-health advocates told BI.Two solutions could be increasing medical-training programs in rural communities and passing legislation to retain and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-high-paying-jobs-hiring-doctors-construction-accounting-2024-4">bolster the physician workforce</a>.<h2 id="0a289233-786f-4ff1-969a-24da2c3ab5eb">An aging population and provider burnout are contributing to a worsening doctor shortage</h2>The effects of a doctor shortage are already here, Dr. Bruce Scott, the president of the American Medical Association, said.Scott practices in Louisville, Kentucky, and said that in addition to patients in rural areas driving hours to appointments, they're waiting months to see a doctor.Various factors, including an aging population, play a part in the situation, Dill said.In 2020, 55.8 million Americans, or 16.8% of the population, were 65 or older, and by 2030, all baby boomers will have reached age 65, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html ">US Census report.</a> As people age, they require more physician services, such as cardiologic or neurological care, and at the same time, doctors are aging and retiring, adding to the shortage, Dill said.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hospital-beds-empty-nurses-doctors-staff-covid-vaccine-2021-10">Physician burnout</a> further exacerbates the problem, Scott said. In one survey that was part of AMA Organizational Biopsy report, of over 12,400 doctors, 48% of respondents said they were burned out. In another survey from the same report, one in three respondents said they planned to retire or reduce hours within two years.One AMA survey found some doctors were leaving their practices because they were being paid less to handle more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-health-records-causing-doctor-burnout-2018-12">administrative burdens</a>, such as spending 12 hours a week filling out prior-authorization requests. "Medicare is paying us nearly 30% less in 2024 than it did in 2001, when adjusted for inflation," Scott said, citing further data compiled by the AMA.<h2 id="1d068686-c4d6-4ee0-81d9-f17918ad516a">Strategies to alleviate the shortage</h2>To help alleviate the physician shortage in rural areas, medical students need to receive training there, said Molly Fox, the vice president of institutional advancement at Kansas Health Science University."We engage students with the rural community because we know that people tend to practice where they feel connected," Fox said.At KHSU's Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, for example, third- and fourth-year students can complete clinical rotations at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, four hours from Wichita, where the university is.Chase Hearn, a third-year student, said he'd seen doctors at the hospital who have worked 26-hour shifts to meet patient needs."I've also heard patients say they can't take a day off work to travel 200 miles to see their OB-GYN," Hearn said. He added that his training had strengthened his resolve to practice in a rural community but that he anticipated challenges, like burnout and working with patients who lack consistent access to care.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-el-paso-trying-solve-us-physician-shortage-2023-7">Rural residency programs</a> are also needed to address the shortage, Dill said. Only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas, the US Government Accountability Office says.A residency program through Oregon Health &amp; Sciences University aims to alleviate the doctor shortage in three central-Oregon counties, including Crook County, where Case lives. The program is training physicians in primary care, family birthing, emergency medicine, behavioral health, and hospital medicine.According to the Rural Medical Training Collaborative, 133 rural residencies in family medicine and 69 rural-track programs are recruiting for 2025 enrollment, along with 30 internal-medicine residencies and 16 psychiatry residencies.Several pieces of legislation have also been introduced to Congress to address the doctor shortage. Scott said bills to adjust Medicare payments for doctors — no matter where they practice — to the annual rate of inflation and rules to reduce the need for prior authorization could help ease administrative burdens.Some legislation, if passed, would specifically influence rural areas.For example, HR 7855, the Association of American Medical Colleges-endorsed Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024, would codify the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, which funds the startup costs of residency training in rural areas, Dill said. From 2019 to 2024, the program has enabled the launch of 46 accredited rural residency programs across 38 states and Puerto Rico.Hollie Davis Frick, an immigration lawyer for Wintersteen Patel Law Group, said congressional action could easily incentivize doctors born abroad and who receive advanced medical training in the US to remain here and practice in rural areas."Many doctors who come here for residencies and fellowships return abroad because of our ineffective immigration policies," Davis Frick said.If passed, S 665, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, would allow state health departments to sponsor additional visa waivers for foreign-born doctors who agree to practice in underserved areas within those states.While Case remains skeptical that doctor-training initiatives and legislation will directly affect her community anytime soon, she considers herself fortunate, she said."I have the ability to drive, afford travel expenses, and pay for out-of-network doctors," Case said. "Not everybody does."

Medical schools and legislation aim to address a worsening doctor shortage that's already hitting rural communities 

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): <keyword id="19953789" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Madras" source="keywords">IIT Madras</keyword> has been ranked the <keyword id="19925221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="best" source="keywords">best</keyword> <keyword id="22759867" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-educational-institution" source="keywords">higher educational institution</keyword> in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> followed by IISc Bengaluru and IIT Bombay in an overall category in the ranking conducted by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The announcement was made on Monday by the Ministry of Education at an event at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital that was presided by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Indian Institute of Technology Madras was ranked first in the <keyword id="22759868" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NIRF-rankings" source="keywords">NIRF rankings</keyword> 2024 and it is the 6th time that it has bagged the top spot in NIRF ranking. IIT-Madras has also been ranked as the best engineering college for the past nine years. In the management category, IIM-Ahmedabad and Bangalore and Calcutta are among the top five. Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru) ranked as the best university in the country followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia. Delhi University's Hindu College ranked as the best college in the country followed by Miranda House College and St. Stephen's College. The Chennai-based institute retained the No 1 position in categories "overall and engineering" The NIRF rankings lists was released for 13 different categories, including universities, colleges, research institutions, engineering, management, pharmacy, medical, dental, law, architecture and planning, agriculture and allied sectors, and innovation. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has been accepted by the MoE and launched by Honourable Minister for Education on 29th September 2015. This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country/ The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has been accepted by the MoE and launched by Honourable Minister for Education on September 29, 2015. This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. This year, as many as higher 10885 education institutions participated in the NIRF.(ANI)

IIT Madras ranked best higher educational institution in India

Have an injury? Add some haldi to milk and sip on it. Want to lose weight? Oh, drinking <keyword id="20121840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-tea" source="keywords">green tea</keyword> is wonderfully helpful. Looking to improve the quality of your sleep and reduce stress levels? <keyword id="19931248" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashwagandha" source="keywords">Ashwagandha</keyword> Is the answer. As generic, well-meaning and seemingly harmless this advice may seem at first glance, research suggests that it couldn’t be further from the truth. In our quest for natural wellness, many of us turn to <keyword id="21026336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="herbal-remedies" source="keywords">herbal remedies</keyword>, entrusting our health to the power of botanicals like <keyword id="20083142" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="turmeric" source="keywords">turmeric</keyword> and green tea. However, if you see a loved one indulging in <keyword id="22711781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="botanical-supplements" source="keywords">botanical supplements</keyword> that they claim are perfectly safe (without running it past a healthcare professional first), you may do well to swat that thing right out of their hands. A recent <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821951">survey</a> by the University of Michigan reveals a concerning trend: while these herbs can offer benefits, their misuse poses significant threats to our liver. According to the survey, approximately 18.6 million people in the United States regularly use herbal remedies that have the potential to harm the liver. These findings highlight a growing reliance on plant-based supplements for health management. In moderation, herbs like green tea and turmeric can indeed support our well-being. Yet, when consumed in concentrated forms, such as capsules, the risk of overdosing increases, leading to a rise in hospitalisations due to herbally-induced liver problems globally. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="95151293" title="Doctors say trendy turmeric supplements can cause liver damage and urge Americans to know the risks" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Using data from 9,685 participants in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers identified the six most commonly consumed herbal products. These include supplements used to treat high cholesterol, depression, and pain. Disturbingly, these are also the products most frequently implicated in liver injury. Over the past two decades, the rate of drug-induced liver injury from these supplements has nearly tripled, rising from 7 percent in 2004 to 20 percent by 2014. Among the botanical products associated with severe and sometimes fatal liver injury are turmeric, kratom, green tea extract, and Garcinia cambogia. Diagnosing liver injury can be challenging until it becomes severe, with symptoms such as fatigue, low appetite, and weight loss. In advanced cases, the liver's inability to process bilirubin leads to jaundice, characterised by a yellowing of the skin and eyes. Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as <keyword id="17696323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-liver-doc" source="Orion">The Liver Doc</keyword>, also took to his X handle to comment on this topic. He shared the experience he had with one of his patients, where the consumption of a BCAA supplement likely harmed their liver possibly because of ingredients like curcumin — known to have liver toxic properties. He called for doctors to check for the complete list of ingredients in the medicines and supplements they prescribe while being especially wary of modern medicine products with herbal components. Evidently, a glaring problem here is that the safety and efficacy of herbal and <keyword id="21293800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dietary-supplements" source="keywords">dietary supplements</keyword> remain poorly established, primarily due to the lack of stringent regulatory requirements by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unlike conventional medications, these supplements do not undergo rigorous human pharmacokinetic or prospective clinical trials before reaching the market. A similar problem exists in India, as well. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111332110" title="Should you take multivitamins? 20-year-long study on 3 lakh people shows they DON’T help you live longer" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Meanwhile, the study showed that the use of <keyword id="22711780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="herbal-supplements" source="keywords">herbal supplements</keyword> is more prevalent among individuals with <keyword id="22711782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chronic-medical-conditions" source="keywords">chronic medical conditions</keyword> like arthritis and diabetes. These users tend to be older, more educated, and have higher incomes compared to those who do not use these supplements. Many turn to turmeric-containing products for joint health or arthritis, driven by the belief in turmeric's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, multiple randomised clinical trials have shown no efficacy of turmeric-containing products in treating osteoarthritis. Similarly, despite widespread media attention, clinical research has found no significant impact of Garcinia cambogia on weight loss or green tea extract on overall health. A 2019 study using spectroscopic analysis further revealed discrepancies between the contents of these supplements and their labels, raising additional concerns about their safety. The safest approach to maintaining health is through a balanced diet that provides necessary nutrients. Supplements should only be used to address diagnosed deficiencies and under medical guidance. For those who choose to use herbal supplements, it is crucial to keep healthcare providers informed. This ensures that any adverse reactions can be promptly and effectively addressed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110365530" title="Is it time we stopped taking over-the-counter fish oil supplements?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Study links turmeric, Ashwagandha and green tea  ‘herbal supplements’ to liver damage

The <keyword id="22366986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doctor-population-ratio" source="keywords">doctor-population ratio</keyword> in the country is 1:836, which is better than the <keyword id="20522854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO-standard" source="keywords">WHO standard</keyword> of 1:1000, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel told the Lok Sabha on Friday. According to the information provided by the <keyword id="20039511" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Medical-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Medical Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Medical Commission">National Medical Commission</keyword> (NMC), there are 13,86,136 <keyword id="20522855" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="allopathic-doctors" source="keywords">allopathic doctors</keyword> registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on July, 2024, Patel said in a written reply. "Assuming 80% availability of registered allopathic doctors and around 5.65 lakh <keyword id="20522856" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AYUSH-doctors" source="keywords">AYUSH doctors</keyword>, the doctor-population ratio in the country is around 1:836 which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000," Patel stated. She also said that there are 731 medical colleges in the country with an annual intake of 1,12,112 <keyword id="20585495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MBBS-seats" source="keywords">MBBS seats</keyword> as of now. Further, there are 72,627 <keyword id="22645227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PG-seats" source="keywords">PG seats</keyword> as of date, she said. Measures taken by the government to augment medical education facilities and to improve medical standards include <keyword id="22366985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centrally-Sponsored-Scheme" source="keywords">Centrally Sponsored Scheme</keyword> (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals, under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 109 are already functional. Under the CSS, medical colleges have been upgraded to increase the number of MBBS (UG) and PG seats. Support has been provided for an increase of 4,977 MBBS seats in 83 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 5,972.20 crore, 4,058 PG seats in phase-I in 72 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 1,498.43 crore and 4,000 PG seats in phase-II in 65 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 4,478.25 crore. Besides, under "upgradation of government medical colleges by construction of super specialty blocks" component of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 projects have been approved, of which 66 projects are complete. Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved and undergraduate courses have started in 19 of these. Also, DNB qualification has been recognised for appointment as teaching faculty, to take care of shortage of faculty and there has been enhancement of age limit for appointment, extension or re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges up to 70 years. <h2>Claims of Indians being unfit "extrapolated" </h2>Furthermore, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Lok Sabha today that WHO's recent report stating that half of India's adult population is physically unfit relied on data collected only from three states and one UT, and the results were extrapolated through a modelling technique indicating inbuilt methodological issues. Responding to a question, Nadda said the WHO defines 'sufficient physical activity' as 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activities per week (brisk walk, lifting light load etc.) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week (running, digging, construction work, outdoor games etc.). The activity level so quantified is based on a self-reported response to questions about physical activity lasting at least for 10 minutes. The National NCD Monitoring Survey of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 2020 has assessed, inter alia, physical activity amongst Indian adults and found that 58.7% had conformed to the WHO recommendations, Nadda told the Lok Sabha.

Doctor-population ratio in India better than WHO standard, says Govt

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You can make thousands of dollars by donating some time or body parts to science.</li><li>But these procedures are not all painless, and not everyone can participate.</li></ul>Get dysentery. Play cards with someone who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clinical-trial-participant-pay-erase-credit-card-debt-2024-2">has the flu</a>. Or, spend 45 days trapped in a tiny apartment with three total strangers.These are just a few of the many ways you can get paid for helping out with scientific research. If you want to aid the science community and potentially save some lives while making a little extra cash, there are some unconventional options to consider.Below is a short list, though be warned: these strategies aren't all exactly easy money.<h2 id="3c59b846-ed49-45b2-96d6-5bed88659c4a">Sell your blood plasma</h2><div type="image" title="A woman wearing a white lab coat and hair net works in a laboratory examining bags of plasma from blood." height="1361" width="1815" msid="110573073" hostid="261" sizebytes="147044"></div>Payout (per donation): around $50Plasma is the largest component in human blood. It's a protein-rich liquid that contains mostly water but is also filled with enzymes, antibodies, and salts. This gooey, sticky yellow-ish stuff can be used to create therapies that treat people with blood clotting disorders, autoimmune diseases, and even burn victims. Donating plasma is often called "the gift of life" since treatments for some conditions can't be made synthetically and require this kind of human contribution.During plasma donation, blood is drawn and an automated machine separates the plasma from other blood components, which are returned to the donor. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/is-donating-plasma-good-side-hustle">Plasma donation pay</a> varies from site to site, but the average payout is typically around $50 per donation. You can donate safely roughly once a month, according to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/plasma-donation">American Red Cross</a>, and a typical session takes less than two hours. Find a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.donatingplasma.org/donation/find-a-donor-center">licensed and certified plasma center</a> near you.<h2 id="c299f302-a1f6-4b10-85f3-00c047a47a65">Donate your sex cells</h2><div type="image" title="A woman wearing a blue medical gown crosses her legs and covers her crotch with her hands." height="720" width="960" msid="110573074" hostid="261" sizebytes="28336"></div>Payout for eggs (per donation): usually $10,000 to $12,000;Payout for sperm (per donation): typically $35-$150Egg and sperm donation can allow couples who have trouble conceiving naturally to become parents by using a donor's sex cells. But the time commitment and risk involved in a woman's egg donation is far steeper than what a man goes through donating his sperm.In the United States, egg donors generally net around $10,000-$12,000. Weill Cornell outlines the standard <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://eggdonor.weillcornell.org/whats_involved/">steps for egg donation</a>, which requires about a four-week time commitment.During the egg donation cycle, patients are injected with fertility drugs so that the ovaries make more mature eggs than normal. (Eligible women are generally between the ages of 21 and 30). The egg retrieval procedure takes about 20 minutes but may require several days of recovery. Donors should be aware of the risks involved (largely related to the hormones used) before signing up.Men are generally paid anywhere from $35 to $150 per sperm donation, according to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://donors.thespermbankofca.org/">The Sperm Bank of California</a>, but sperm donation can really start to add up if you regularly donate samples (many programs require a six-month or one-year donation commitment).Donors should bear in mind that even if they choose to donate anonymously, sperm and egg donation is never really 100% incognito. Your DNA always knows who you are.<h2 id="c30eb745-1d1a-4ae6-a518-d5c1bfffb975">Spend 45 days on a fake spaceship</h2><div type="image" title="A man and woman work inside NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog, a capsule designed to simulate a spacecraft" height="586" width="1041" msid="110573075" hostid="261" sizebytes="75320"></div>Payout: $160/dayNASA will pay you to spend 45 days traveling in space. Well, sort of.You'll actually be on the ground the whole time in Houston, Texas, but you'll be locked inside a model space capsule (650 square feet) along with three strangers. This simulation is designed to study what being cooped up for a very long time inside a spaceship might do to a person, both physically and mentally. NASA wants to check this out thoroughly before they start sending astronauts on missions to Mars, or to explore faraway asteroids.Participants in NASA's human research program share a capsule with each other that includes some workspace for doing lab experiments, a little kitchen table for eating meals that are just like what's served aboard the International Space Station, plus an exercise bike and some free weights. There's no internet, but you do get your own little cozy sleeping pod on the top floor.The fake astronauts "on board" the capsule in May and June of 2024 include an aerospace engineering professor, a US Air Force Reserve member, a commercial pilot, and a biomedical engineer.And that mission is nothing compared to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-mars-simulation-job-pay-qualifications-application-chapea-mission-2024-2">NASA's CHAPEA Mars simulation</a>, which keeps recruits in a simulated habitat of the red planet for 378 days. (NASA declined to comment on how much CHAPEA pays).<h2 id="7f0066f1-ade8-4f6a-a3cd-7c5383d36e88">Take part in a clinical trial</h2><div type="image" title="A woman in a purple shirt smiles as another woman draws blood from her arm." height="657" width="500" msid="110573076" hostid="261" sizebytes="27978"></div>Payout: Varies by programThe National Institutes of Health run a searchable database, <a target="_blank" href="http://ClincalTrials.gov">ClincalTrials.gov</a>, that rounds up human clinical studies ongoing around the world. Participants may be guinea pigs for new medical products, like drugs to treat high blood pressure, or they take part in observational research, like a study that records the effects of different lifestyles on heart health.Subjects are generally paid to participate in such clinical trials, and most of the time, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. For example, a participant in one study in which participants were exposed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-drank-smoothie-that-gave-him-dysentery-for-vaccine-trial-2022-4">dysentery-causing bacteria</a> was paid over $7,000, while a single blood draw or lab visit for a more straightforward study may only be worth $100 or so.If you do decide to enroll in a study, choose wisely and carefully because <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/about-site/disclaimer">not all of the studies on the site are regulated</a> or evaluated for safety by the US Food and Drug Administration.<h2 id="9e5d70cb-4b97-4a29-920d-493bf19a1739">Enroll in a psychological study</h2><div type="image" title="Two friends sit on an orange couch playing video games." height="1321" width="1761" msid="110573077" hostid="261" sizebytes="278668"></div>Payout: Varies by programPaid psychological studies, such as those that examine human behavior and brain function, may not generate as high of a return as clinical trials, but they are generally lower risk and require a shorter time commitment.Most research universities keep an online database of studies so people can easily sign up. For example, here's a list of the most recent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://as.nyu.edu/psychology/research/participate-in-research/paid-studies.html">paid research studies offered by New York University</a>. At NYU, you can make $12 an hour playing video games, and receive a $50 bonus if you're good at it.<h2 id="fdff9d09-8115-44a3-a5c5-4e0c10b1bfd1">Give your dead body to science</h2><div type="image" title="A man in a white lab coat, safety goggles, and purple medical gloves dissects a tissue sample from a cadaver." height="2498" width="2966" msid="110573078" hostid="261" sizebytes="219708"></div>Payout: free cremationThis last idea is sort of morbid, but if you're worried about being a bother when you're dead, you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-working-at-a-body-donation-center-is-like-2019-12">donate your body to science</a>. This helps with various types of research and education.Places like <a target="_blank" href="http://biogift.org/">BioGift</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencecare.com/whole-body-donation-faq/">Science Care</a> will cover the costs of cremation, which can run upwards of $2,000.

How to make money from medical research and donations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mike Bloomberg donated $1 billion to Johns Hopkins University.</li><li>The gift will make tuition for medical school free for students with family incomes under $300,000.</li></ul>Most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/medical-student-tiktok-social-media-influencer-online-side-hustle-2022-12">medical students</a> at Johns Hopkins University won't have to worry about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-companies-inaccurate-excessive-barriers-borrowers-debt-relief-cfpb-2024-7">student loans</a>.On Monday, Johns Hopkins <a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/07/08/johns-hopkins-investment-financial-aid-medical-students/">announced</a> that Bloomberg Philanthropies, founded by the billionaire <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-terminal-wall-street-data-2023-4">Michael Bloomberg</a>, would donate $1 billion to make tuition free for medical students with family incomes under $300,000 a year, beginning this fall.Johns Hopkins said the gift would also allow it to cover living expenses for medical students with family incomes under $175,000 a year. It estimated that nearly two-thirds of current and incoming medical students would qualify for free tuition or free tuition and covered living expenses."As the US struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals — and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling," Bloomberg said."By reducing the financial barriers to these essential fields, we can free more students to pursue careers they're passionate about — and enable them to serve more of the families and communities who need them the most," he added.The university said students eligible for the benefits would receive updated financial-aid packages this summer.Going to medical school can be costly — the Association of American Medical Colleges says it can leave borrowers with about $200,000 in student debt on average upon graduation. While medical jobs are typically high paying, a career isn't guaranteed. Borrowers can be left with six-figure balances that can surge because of high interest rates.Along with Johns Hopkins, other schools have received philanthropic donations to address high costs that can be barriers to pursuing further education. For example, Ruth Gottesman — the philanthropist and widow of David Gottesman, an early Berkshire Hathaway investor — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ruth-gottesman-donates-1-billion-medical-school-free-tuition-forever-2024-2">donated $1 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock</a> to a medical school in the Bronx in February to cover its students' tuition.Some schools seeking to address high student-debt loads for their undergraduates have taken matters into their own hands. Princeton, Amherst, and Harvard are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-abolishing-student-loan-debt-grants-princeton-smith-colgate-2021-10">among a growing number of schools</a> that have eliminated student loans from their financial-aid packages, shifting to grants that students don't need to repay.Monday's announcement will build on donations Johns Hopkins has received over the past few years to reduce student-debt loads for its graduates. The university said that through that aid, the average total student debt for medical-school graduates declined to about $105,000 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Mike Bloomberg donates $1 billion to cover Johns Hopkins medical school tuition for students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Marion, 70, moved to Ohio to live with two roommates due to rising rent in Washington.</li><li>She worked multiple jobs to support her family but faced financial strain after surgeries.</li></ul>Marion, 70, raised two sons in Washington as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/single-parent-loneliness-no-partner-202404">single mother</a>, often working two jobs while making financial sacrifices. However, after various surgeries that put her out of work, she decided to try a new cost-saving measure: living with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-live-with-roommates-as-adult-perks-outweigh-embarrassment-2024-4">roommates</a>.Marion, whose last name is being withheld for privacy reasons but is known by Business Insider, decided to sell most of her belongings and leave friends behind to move in with her sister and her sister's boyfriend in rural <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-family-to-florida-for-husbands-job-regrets-divorce-2024-7">Ohio</a>. She couldn't afford rent anymore in Washington, and she now pays about $500 in Ohio, allowing her to save money and more comfortably pay her many medical bills.Still, getting by even in a one-stoplight town is challenging, given her $1,662 in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-living-on-social-security-retirement-savings-401k-bus-driver-2024-7">Social Security</a> only goes so far."I now have roommates for the first time in my life, but it's a way to live comfortably," Marion said. "You got to do what you got to do."<h2 id="26a714a5-047c-400a-9e7e-ce313be2d4eb">Rising costs and losing income</h2>Marion's father was in the military, and her family moved around the country as a child. She was born in Germany and moved to Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan, and Texas."We were never wealthy; we were your typical middle-class family," Marion said.She got pregnant at 17, though she had to support her child independently. Soon after, she married a man who wasn't her child's father and moved to Washington to be closer to his family. They had a child together, though they <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/determined-marriage-end-in-divorce-backfired-2024-8">divorced</a> four years later.Marion raised her children north of Seattle while working as a cocktail waitress and side jobs, which paid her enough to support her children. She spent 13 years at one chain restaurant, then switched to another chain for 18 years in managerial positions that paid more."It was hard to raise your kids working that much and making sure that they were on the straight and narrow and not getting in trouble," Marion said, noting she often made sacrifices so her children could live comfortably and get an education. "Sometimes I look back, and I don't even know how I did it."She recalled having a car that would fill up with smoke when it started, but she couldn't afford to buy a new one. She once borrowed $50 from her boss to get her son a Christmas present, which took her three months to pay back.Over two decades ago, she <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-retirement-overrated-financial-independence-fire-return-to-office-balance-2024-6">retired early</a> from her job due to extensive <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-boomer-cancer-social-security-savings-disability-401k-groceries-inflation-2024-8">medical issues</a>, including neck and back surgeries that left her unable to work the 50 to 60 hours a week her job expected.She relied on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disability-insurance-after-needing-extended-break-from-work-2024-3">Social Security Disability Insurance</a> payments to keep her afloat, which were much less than her salary. Marion earned about $1,200 monthly, which wasn't nearly enough. She filed for bankruptcy and lost her condo, after which she moved in with her mother for a decade before she died.She cashed out her <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-retiree-saved-too-much-in-401k-financial-independence-strategy-2024-5">401(k)</a> early — as she couldn't have assets while on SSDI — and spent much of her savings on dental work. Her sons also helped pay some bills during rough patches, as the hours she could work were limited. She also sold painted bottles at a local art museum bringing in about $100 a month."I learned to adjust bit by bit. I learned where to cut corners, where to buy food cheap," Marion said. "I would clean houses under the table. A few times a year, I would get an extra $200, $300, $500."She lived on her own for over 11 years in Washington, limiting vacations just to important family events. She rarely got her nails or hair done, shopped at Goodwill for clothes, and only dined out infrequently.For the first two years of the pandemic, government assistance and a pause on rent increases allowed her to live frugally but comfortably. She paid $675 a month in rent when she first moved in, though that jumped to $900. However, last year, her rent jumped to $1,150 for a 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartment, which she knew she couldn't afford to rely on $1,662 net in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-peak-boomer-alice-social-security-masters-degree-student-loans-2024-5">Social Security</a>. When she applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, she only qualified for $23 a month."When you take $1,150 away from $1,662, that does not leave a lot for food, car insurance, gas, or internet," Marion said.<h2 id="79de81bd-2de5-47b1-a6ca-6f4711bb335d">Moving to rural Ohio</h2>There was almost nowhere in Washington she could move for significantly less rent; even the administration fees and security deposit would be a stretch. She said her part of Washington had "deteriorated" over the last 10 years and she wanted to move somewhere safer and quieter. She knew she didn't want to move in with her two sons, as she didn't want to be a burden on them.Marion discussed moving in with her sister and her sister's boyfriend, though she would have to move across the country. She decided to sell her car, leave behind her home state of five decades, and move to Ohio. She went into debt for six months to afford a U-Haul and a new bed."I had to move, but I don't have a network of people here," Marion said. "I hardly know anybody, just my neighbors."She, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-renting-buying-affordability-mortgage-rates-home-prices-rent-2024-5">rent</a> a five-bedroom house for $1,300 total in the small town of Mechanicsburg, which has 1,700 residents and one stoplight. With utilities and other home expenses, she pays between $500 to $600 monthly. The town has just a few shops, though she said little happens there, and getting groceries is a 20-minute drive. Still, it's "one of the safest places I've ever lived," she said.It took time to adjust to living with family with different values and beliefs, though she was grateful she had a roof over her head and could work on her artwork. She's also adjusted to leaving her grandchildren behind, making life "emotionally really difficult" some days."I never thought that I would end up with roommates since that's something you do when you're young, not when you're an old person set in their ways," Marion said. "But it's an option for older people to live with roommates because at my age and with my Social Security, living alone isn't always possible."She said her sister and her boyfriend are better off financially, as they get small pensions on top of their Social Security. Her sister's boyfriend still works part time to bring in extra income.Despite cutting back on rent and putting aside money for savings, finances are still tight. She avoided <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-retirement-social-security-insurance-cancer-diagnosis-2024-7">cancer</a> screenings and stress tests at her last doctor's appointment because they had a $300 copay. She still owes $350 for glaucoma surgery, while she's paid $35 to $40 for each specialist she sees for her arthritis and foot issues. She said her doctor wanted her to wear a foot cast that would avoid surgery, though it would cost $500."When you're old and you get aches and pains, the hardest part is sometimes you don't know if you've got a legitimate ache and pain or if it's just old age," Marion said. "With my medical expenses coming up, I just don't even know how to prepare for that except for waiting for October, when I'll try to get a different medical plan."She said the biggest concern now is saving enough so she can live the rest of her life without stressing out her sons."My biggest thing right now is trying to save up enough money so that I can pay for cremation," Marion said. "I don't want my kids to get stuck paying for any kind of funeral."Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:nsheidlower@businessinsider.com">nsheidlower@businessinsider.com</a>.

A retired boomer who gets $1,662 in Social Security moved in with roommates to afford her medical bills: 'It's the only way I can afford to live comfortably'

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