Change law so M.D.s can help in health crisis

I am a medical doctor. I graduated from medical school, yet I cannot practice medicine. It is illegal for me to touch a patient. It is illegal for me to give medical advice. This is not because I do not have the skills or the knowledge. This is because of the law and lack of federal funding for Graduate Medical Education.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unacceptable that thousands of medical school graduates like me are unable to serve in hospitals even though, according to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, physicians like me have "at least twice the clinical training of nurse practitioner graduates."

A nurse practitioner can practice medicine under a supervising physician after two years of medical training (around 1,500 clinical training hours). I cannot.

A physician's assistant can practice medicine under a supervising physician after two years of medical training (around 2,000 clinical training hours). I cannot.

After four years of medical training beyond a bachelor's degree (around 6,000 clinical training hours), I am not allowed to similarly serve the people of Illinois.

The solution is two-pronged. First, Gov. Pritzker can follow the model of Missouri and immediately license M.D.s (graduates of medical school without residency training) to practice medicine under a supervising physician as an "assistant physician."

Second, Congress must work to pass and expedite implementation of S.348/H.R.1763, the "Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019," so we can meet the growing need for doctors right here in Illinois.

Reps. Casten and Foster as well as Sens. Duckworth and Durbin have all co-sponsored this legislation, which is currently stuck in committee. Please join me in reaching out to our lawmakers to make sure Illinois has the health care capacity to fight COVID-19.

Janette DeFelice

Glen Ellyn