[dikdik]

A lot of physicians either push to restrict the supply of docs or look at this "issue" and do nothing about it. They do not want their wages to decrease by opening up the market (have had physician friends say this to me in words that make it sound less terrible).

Cuba decided they wanted more physicians, so they invested in them to the point that they could use them as an export. If we have a shortage of doctors (which I think we do), the people with the power to change that either don't believe we have a shortage or have a vested interest in keeping a shortage.

[B1FF_PSUVM]

Bingo. Medicine isn't inherently a particularly hard course of study, and in many countries is just a five or six year university degree similar to a master's level degree in engineering.

It is, however, subject to stricter licensing/certification constraints which are mostly in the hands of the existing body of practitioners ...

[jghn]

Anecdote but I've worked with many MDs in my career and most of them very publicly express an "I got mine" attitude and scoff at any attempt to increase numbers or make the process less crushing