Authorities have long anticipated the U.S. would face a shortage of physicians as the Baby Boomer generation aged and outpaced medical school graduates. The warnings have become more dire as COVID-19 induces the nation’s aging physician workforce to consider early retirement or at least significantly reduce its workload. Medical schools like Southern Illinois University School of Medicine have taken a first step in addressing the shortage by expanding the overall number of medical students enrolled in their institutions. In 2020, SIU increased its enrollment to include eight additional
