A 2024 survey of medical students at 8 major [public and private] med schools found that 21.2% of students were food insecure. (Food insecurity is defined as not having access to or being unable to afford nutritious food.)
This is twice the national rate of food insecurity for US households.
Food insecurity was most prevalent among URM medical students and students from lower income backgrounds.
Students who primarily relied on private loans, state or school scholarships, student self-help and federal loans to cover their medical school expenses were significantly more likely to experience food insecurity than medical students who had family support to pay for medical school.
***
This survey seems to suggest that the new lowered federal student loan limits will further stress lower-income and first generation students who pursue a medical education and increase inequities in accessing a medical education.
Makes me wonder about the future of medical care for all. Less doctors = the wealthy win - because doctors will shift even more so to the membership thing they’ve been doing. And more will pay those membership fees. Or Concierge I guess they call them. If that’s your only way to see a doctor, then I’d have to join that ship and others would too.
In this cross-sectional survey study with 1745 participants, 17% of graduate students and 13% of postdoctoral trainees experienced food insecurity during the academic year. Among graduate students, factors associated with food insecurity included belonging to a racial and ethnic minority group, receiving financial aid, and having housing instability; among postdoctoral trainees, these factors included receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, having housing instability, and not owning a car.
As a result, the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20) contains the first nationally representative data on food insecurity and homelessness among undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in postsecondary education in the United States. ….Overall, 23% of undergraduates, and 12% of graduate students, are experiencing food insecurity.
I’m sad anyone has to experience food insecurity in this country. Especially with so much food waste and income disparity.
However, I am hoping, and expect it already is, shaping how highly educated people view these issues. Food insecurity isn’t just something experienced by homeless people or those on the streets. I know my college aged kids probably didn’t think their peers faced food insecurity until they saw it on campus. Now they both donate (either officially or unofficially) dining swipes to other students.
One of my nieces who was on a full meal plan was bringing homeless people as her “guests” to the dining hall on Sunday evenings for dinner, and just swiping them in. It was a sparsely attended meal anyway (the Sunday brunches were popular; dinner not so much) and she observed a lot of food waste so she figured it was a win/win.
Family was upset initially (they were paying for HER to eat) until they came around. Unused swipes going to keep people fed who were living in a city park…. not a great public policy solution, but perfectly legal as far as the meal contract went.
Yep. Many med schools have now banned drug reps, but this was one good thing about them– they brought food. Many of us got by due to meals from drug reps.