Traditional medical school training is too expensive, takes too long, and is not addressing the primary care needs of the country, a complex problem with many moving parts. Medical students burdened by mountains of debt and unable to begin earning until well into their late twenties or early thirties often gravitate to higher-paid specialties and practices in urban settings.

What might we do differently to solve the primary care shortage, particularly in rural areas? And what can we do to reduce the expensive supply side economics of healthcare – where, for example, having too many surgical specialists can drive up either the volume of elective surgeries or the cost of each procedure (because more surgeons mean fewer surgeries for each)?