Debt may influence young docs' career plans

Pediatricians-in-training are more likely to plan to go into primary care, rather than a specialty field, if they have lots of debt from college and medical school, according to a U.S. study. Researchers publishing in Pediatrics also found that the average pediatric resident doctor's debt increased 34 percent between 2006 and 2010. That suggests financial considerations may keep young doctors out of medical specialties, they said, especially those fields that aren't known for paying well but still require extra training.