Some med schools trying 3-year degrees

To try to get more physicians into practice faster, some medical schools are experimenting with 3-year programs. The programs, aimed mostly at primary care, have the added benefit of reducing student expenses, which may attract even more students to the field.

Under the abbreviated programs, medical schools shave a year by allowing students to begin clerkship training in their second year instead of the third, as well as by eliminating breaks and electives. Students who know they want to enter general practice can skip the fourth year of specialty rotations and internship interviews.

Proponents of the shorter program say it could help address the growing shortage of primary care physicians.