Good question of how do we train more doctors. It’s something to consider even if we don’t go to universal healthcare. The lead time to train doctors, including medical school and residencies is so long, it would take many years to see results of any big new expansion of medical schools.
Not only the question of how do you train more physicians, but how to make healthcare a more lucrative and enticing profession. Take away the incentives to work in a free market and to make money based on your skills and work ethic, you take a way a large segment of the population who may have considered practicing medicine.
Not sure we have a shortage of doctors, just a shortage of doctors who want to be primary care physicians, i.e. family doctors.
It doesn’t pay enough for the grind and cost of med school.
I’m of the opinion that it just needs to be incentivized a bit. I also think there is nothing wrong with MD’s that have trained in a lucrative specialty part-timing it at a family care clinic in exchange for points off their student debt. I also think they would be better DR’s from the experience.
Another cheap way to incentivize family practice is to make the first 100-200K tax free depending on the zip code. Meaning no tax benefit for practising in 90210, but a maximum benefit for practicing or even part-time work in some less lovely zip code.