Over 10 states have passed laws in the last decade allowing non-match medical school graduates to work under the supervision of a licensed physician through what have become known as "bridge" programs.
Here are five things to know about bridge programs for medical school graduates who passed their licensing exam but did not match into an accredited residency program:
1. Laws allowing these programs exist in Missouri, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee and Utah. Twelve additional states have proposed similar legislation.
2. Titles for these graduate roles vary by state. In Arkansas, graduates of these programs are referred to as "graduate registered physicians," Tennessee uses "graduate physicians," and Louisiana and Idaho use "bridge physicians."
3. Alabama is home to the most recently opened bridge program. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners introduced the Bridge Year Graduate Physician Program in August 2024, allowing applicants to receive a permit to practice medicine under an Alabama-licensed physician for one year. The permit can be renewed for an additional year.
4. Many of these programs are designed to address the shortage of residency slots for medical school graduates, which is in turn fueling the physician shortage. Residency slots have not kept pace with the volume of applicants graduating from medical schools in recent years, at least in part due to a 1996 federally imposed cap on the number of residency slots awarded each year.
5. Since these programs are not a full substitute for an accredited residency program, graduates will need to re-apply for residency after their bridge program is completed. "There are many reasons medical graduates may not match into residency programs, often due to limited residency slots," said William Perkins, executive director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, in The Cullman Tribune Aug. 4. "The Bridge Year program will help alleviate Alabama’s physician shortage and provide these graduates with additional training as they reapply for residency."