# The Future of U.S. Health Care: Revamping Medical Education to Mend a Flawed System
The shocking public assassination of the United Health Care CEO has sparked profound discussions about the condition of the U.S. health care system. While various health care issues dominate the national dialogue, this incident acts as a somber representation of the frustration and systemic shortcomings many individuals face. The existing U.S. health care framework has been persistently criticized for favoring corporate earnings over patient well-being, leaving a multitude of Americans financially and emotionally distressed when seeking assistance. If substantial reform does not commence early in medical education, we risk continuing an expensive and disjointed system that mainly serves executives instead of patients.
## A Historical Perspective on Medical Education
The progression of medical education in the United States has witnessed significant changes over the years:
– **1700s** – Health care was characterized by a holistic and practical approach.
– **1800s** – The dominant training model was that of apprenticeships, where education was informal and lacked regulation.
– **1900s** – The *Flexner Report* of 1910 established structure and rigor in medical training, underscoring the significance of scientific foundations.
However, little has transformed since the Flexner Report. Conventional medical education continues to focus on two main pillars: **basic sciences** (like biochemistry and anatomy) and **clinical sciences** (hands-on patient care). Yet, an essential third pillar, **Health Systems Science (HSS)**, is frequently overlooked, resulting in a deficiency of understanding among new physicians regarding the complexities of the U.S. health care framework. If health care providers do not learn to navigate and enhance the system, they are left to operate within its shortcomings instead of challenging or transforming them.
## The Role of Health Systems Science in Medical Education
Health Systems Science (HSS) conceptualizes health care as a **network of policies, economics, collaborations, and ethical considerations**, rather than merely a direct interaction between medical professionals and patients. A comprehensive HSS education encompasses subjects such as:
– **Quality improvement and patient safety**
– **Collaboration between health care professionals**
– **Ethics in care and value-driven medical practice**
– **Social determinants of health and population health**
– **Public health policies and their execution**
– **Technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation in medicine**
At present, HSS components are often distributed throughout medical education in an inconsistent way. Not due to a lack of value, but because educators face challenges with **how and where to weave them into already packed curricula**. With only four years of undergraduate medical education, institutions frequently focus on traditional sciences at the expense of health care system literacy.
However, as the **health care crisis escalates**, medical professionals need to move past diagnosing and prescribing therapies—they must **comprehend, navigate, and enhance the system itself**. Future physicians must be prepared not only with clinical skills but also with the ability to mend the infrastructure that often fails their patients.
## Reforming Medical Education: A Call for Systemic Change
Numerous researchers and educators advocate for a transition toward **early and integrated** HSS education. A significant study, *Health Systems Science: The “Broccoli” of Undergraduate Medical Education*, posits that HSS should not be concealed from students like an unappetizing vegetable. Instead, it should be embraced and directly linked to its significance in preventing physician burnout—what many now term **moral injury** due to functioning within a flawed system.
Resistance to change is a well-recognized obstacle in academia, especially in medical schools that must juggle excessive testing, strict schedules, and board examination preparations. Nevertheless, **without change, we will keep producing doctors ill-equipped to champion systemic enhancements**.
A century ago, the *Flexner Report* revolutionized medical education, establishing standards that defined contemporary medical training. Today, it is time for a **new pivotal reform—the “Broccoli Report”**—to integrate Health Systems Science into the foundation of medical education.
## The Path Forward: Advocacy and Action
Medical educators and policymakers **must demand curriculum reform**:
1. **Make HSS a fundamental component** of undergraduate medical education.
2. **Ensure that board exams incorporate HSS competencies**, providing students an incentive to grasp system-wide issues.
3. **Incorporate interdisciplinary education**, training doctors to work alongside policymakers, data analysts, and financial experts.
4. **Foster a culture of advocacy**, stressing that future physicians should not merely adapt to the system but actively strive to improve it.
**The murder of a health care CEO is not the solution. But education, awareness, and systemic reform could be.** Physicians must be at the forefront of health care transformation, and that journey commences with a medical education system that prepares them for the realities of modern medicine—not just its science, but also its structure.
The fractured U.S. health care system cannot be repaired through isolated efforts. Genuine change must arise from a