Table. Medical Education Debt by Intended Specialty for US Medical Graduates, 2010-2016 .
| Intended Specialty | 2010 | 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduates, No. | Graduates With Debt, No. (%) | Medical Education Debt, $a,b | Graduates, No. | Graduates With Debt, No. (%) | Medical Education Debt, $a,b | |||
| Mean | Median (IQR) | Mean | Median (IQR) | |||||
| Anesthesiology | 839 | 732 (87.3) | 164 218 | 168 697 (119 242-215 954) |
769 | 576 (74.9) | 181 021 | 182 000 (120 000-250 000) |
| Dermatology | 277 | 213 (76.9) | 145 804 | 142 870 (89 725-197 820) |
330 | 211 (63.9) | 153 827 | 160 000 (85 000-213 000) |
| Emergency medicine | 907 | 811 (89.4) | 174 501 | 181 335 (131 880-219 800) |
1203 | 938 (78.0) | 195 432 | 200 000 (145 000-250 000) |
| Family medicine | 595 | 499 (83.9) | 167 921 | 175 840 (131 880-214 305) |
1170 | 935 (79.9) | 180 729 | 180 000 (130 000-240 000) |
| General surgery | 727 | 601 (82.7) | 162 985 | 170 345 (109 900-216 503) |
832 | 620 (74.5) | 183 285 | 180 000 (130 000-240 000) |
| Internal medicine | 1657 | 1343 (81.1) | 156 857 | 164 850 (104 405-208 810) |
2664 | 1868 (70.1) | 173 278 | 175 000 (115 000-230 000) |
| Medicine and pediatrics | NA | NA | NA | NA | 273 | 216 (79.1) | 169 193 | 173 588 (120 000-220 000) |
| Neurology | 260 | 213 (81.9) | 163 658 | 175 840 (109 900-219 800) |
417 | 289 (69.3) | 180 041 | 180 000 (120 000-250 000) |
| Neurosurgery | 141 | 117 (83.0) | 167 875 | 159 355 (109 900-230 790) |
167 | 110 (65.9) | 180 660 | 187 500 (118 000-260 000) |
| Obstetrics and gynecology | 746 | 660 (88.5) | 165 934 | 168 147 (113 197-219 800) |
799 | 602 (75.3) | 177 491 | 180 000 (120 000-233 000) |
| Ophthalmology | 327 | 241 (73.7) | 144 322 | 153 860 (87 920-193 424) |
338 | 203 (60.1) | 172 564 | 184 000 (120 000-220 000) |
| Orthopedic surgery | 572 | 494 (86.4) | 165 850 | 175 840 (113 197-219 800) |
612 | 454 (74.2) | 183 778 | 190 000 (130 000-240 000) |
| Otolaryngology | 243 | 195 (80.2) | 158 764 | 164 850 (109 900-202 216) |
244 | 172 (70.5) | 174 801 | 180 000 (110 000-240 000) |
| Pathology | 260 | 206 (79.2) | 148 440 | 150 563 (87 920-192 325) |
184 | 120 (65.2) | 178 146 | 185 539 (117 500-230 000) |
| Pediatrics | 1036 | 887 (85.6) | 156 475 | 164 850 (109 900-203 315) |
1548 | 1151 (74.4) | 174 764 | 177 000 (120 000-225 000) |
| Plastic surgery | 125 | 100 (80.0) | 170 020 | 165 949 (107 153-222 548) |
117 | 87 (74.4) | 180 730 | 175 000 (137 000-240 000) |
| Physical medicine and rehabilitation | 149 | 130 (87.2) | 169 111 | 178 588 (109 900-219 800) |
168 | 121 (72.0) | 176 469 | 180 000 (120 000-238 037) |
| Psychiatry | 502 | 419 (83.5) | 158 864 | 164 850 (109 900-208 810) |
658 | 488 (74.2) | 184 323 | 190 000 (126 500-250 000) |
| Radiation oncology | 123 | 96 (78.0) | 147 908 | 139 240 (87 920-197 820) |
126 | 83 (65.9) | 168 297 | 170 000 (100 000-202 000) |
| Radiology | 729 | 604 (82.9) | 159 389 | 164 850 (107 702-219 800) |
552 | 384 (69.6) | 185 490 | 180 500 (130 000-250 000) |
| Urology | 192 | 162 (84.4) | 164 693 | 175 840 (118 692-213 746) |
216 | 156 (72.2) | 171 322 | 176 500 (125 000-220 000) |
| Otherc | 412 | 340 (82.5) | 167 316 | 164 850 (120 890-219 800) |
209 | 151 (72.2) | 181 295 | 183 148 (105 000-250 000) |
| Missingd | 1967 | 1667 (84.7) | 163 046 | 164 850 (109 900-219 800) |
14 | 10 (71.4) | 180 100 | 200 000 (120 000-229 000) |
| Total | 12 786 | 10 730 (83.9) | 161 739 | 164 850 (109 900-218 701) |
13 610 | 9945 (73.1) | 179 068 | 180 000 (120 000-240 000) |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; NA, not available.
a
Medical education debt including mean, median, and IQR is that for individuals reporting a nonzero value for debt at the time of graduation.
b
Dollar amounts are adjusted to 2016 US dollars using the consumer price index for all urban consumers.
c
Other includes allergy, colorectal surgery, medical genetics, preventive medicine, thoracic surgery, not medicine, undecided, or other unclassified.
d
Missing includes those who did not respond to the question on intended specialty.