The AMA: (1) believes that medical schools should further develop an information system based on common definitions to display the costs associated with undergraduate medical education; (2) in studying the financing of medical schools, supports identification of those elements that have implications for the supply of physicians in the future; (3) believes that the primary goal of medical school is to educate students to become physicians and that despite the economies necessary to survive in an era of decreased funding, teaching functions must be maintained even if other commitments need to be reduced; (4) believes that a decrease in student enrollment in medical schools may not result in proportionate reduction of expenditures by the school if quality of education is to be maintained; (5) supports continued improvement of the AMA information system on expenditures of medical students to determine which items are included, and what the ranges of costs are; (6) supports continued study of the relationship between medical student indebtedness and career choice; (7) encourages students to seek out creative methods of financing; (8) believes medical schools should consider allowing more flexible scheduling to permit students leaves of absence to obtain gainful employment; (9) believes medical schools should avoid counterbalancing reductions in revenues from other sources through tuition and student fee increases that compromise their ability to attract students from diverse backgrounds; (10) urges all states to adopt AMA model legislation for loan programs to students; (11) supports continued analysis of current and proposed student loan programs to determine their characteristics and to identify alternatives; (12) supports continued federal government support of medical education; (13) supports continued state government support for medical education; (14) supports expansion of the number of affiliations with appropriate hospitals by institutions with accredited residency programs; (15) encourages for profit-hospitals to participate in medical education and training; (16) supports AMA monitoring of trends that may lead to a reduction in stipends paid to resident physicians; (17) believes that the cost of graduate medical education should be funded as an integral part of the financing of medical care; (18) encourages all sponsoring institutions to make financial information available to help residents manage their educational indebtedness. (CME Rep. A, I-83; Reaffirmed: CLRPD Rep. I-93-1; Res. 313, I-95; Reaffirmed by CME Rep. 13, A-97)