My lede:

When students from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine opened their resident Match envelopes in March 2009, only one was bound for a family medicine residency. On Match Day 2010, 12 future family doctors were among the 114 students who unsealed their fates in an auditorium that exploded with shrieks of joy when the big moment arrived.

The family medicine shift among the University of Chicago seniors is indicative of a greater nationwide interest in primary care. There was a 9% rise in the number of U.S. allopathic medical school seniors choosing family medicine — compared with a 7% drop in 2009.

The whole shebang.

My lede:

Not a single allopathic medical school opened its doors during the 1980s and 1990s.

But since 2007, more than a dozen allopathic schools have started the Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation process. Another 10 are under discussion, and five osteopathic medical colleges have opened.

The surge in new medical schools is taking place as the Assn. of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of at least 125,000 physicians by 2025. Hopes among educators and physician leaders are high that the new schools can help underserved areas and spur local economic growth.

But some experts on work-force issues say new schools are not enough. They say that without more federal funding for residency slots or changes in the doctor payment system, the schools are unlikely to avert an overall work-force shortage or address the undersupply of primary care physicians and general surgeons.

The whole shebang.