"The American Medical Association House of Delegates took steps to help address the pressures of rising medical student debt -- an issue doctors said is critical to access to care," Amednews.com reports. "The house directed the AMA to work with medical schools and other stakeholders to increase funding through state and federal scholarship and loan programs, and oppose state efforts to reduce school funding. The AMA also will promote other innovative ways to help students reduce debt -- for example, by shortening the length of training for combined residency or dual-degree programs, easing loan repayment obligations and ensuring equitable tuition increases. "As a dean [at the State University of New York at Buffalo] I can tell you, students are coming out of medical school with $140,000 to $200,000 in debt. It is a very serious issue," said AMA Immediate Past President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD. In addition to tuition hikes, the reauthorization of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act and related legislation eliminated opportunities for medical graduates to defer loan repayments based on economic hardship. The AMA will study the impact of the changes, set to take effect July 1, and advocate for reversal."