Feeling the Pain

            If there’s any good news from all of this, it’s that interest in the medical industry hasn’t softened.

            “The applicant pool, both for medical schools and nursing schools, has increased,” Keefe says. “It’s still very attractive for students. We do need to look at more private/public partnerships, and turn to practitioners as well. The best educators also remain involved in some practice.”

            She adds, “It boils down to looking at how we reinvest funds at both the state and federal levels…I hope we can invest in higher education programs, particularly in the medical fields. That’s really important for everyone in the country.”