Hoping to Keep New Doctors in Texas, Schwertner asks Medical Schools to Consider Graduate Medical Education

Today, Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) filed legislation that would require Texas medical schools to do a better job of matching medical school graduates with an in-state, post-graduate medical residency program, also known as Graduate Medical Education (GME).  SB 1066 will help ensure that the state has an adequate number of medical residencies to satisfy the needs of its medical graduates, ultimately keeping more new physicians here in Texas.

Over the last decade, as more new medical schools have come online and the number of medical school graduates has increased, Texas has struggled to maintain an equivalent number of medical residency slots to satisfy the increasing demand.  As a result, each year dozens of new physicians graduate from Texas medical schools only to find a lack of available in-state residencies.  Faced with limited options, many are forced to relocate to another state in order to complete their training.

A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that 82% of doctors who complete their medical school and graduate medical education in Texas opt to practice in the state permanently.  A similar study by the Texas Medical Association found that these physicians are three times more likely than others to stay in-state and treat Texas patients.

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