AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – A nationwide shortage of physicians in rural areas is causing concern for many in the medical field.
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is working to combat that the problem.
TTUHSC has developed a program called Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT). The hope is to get students working in the medical field faster, and by doing so, hopefully retaining doctors in the areas that need it most.
The program works by shortening the duration of their medical education usually, it takes a year off.
This allows students to begin residency and practicing medicine sooner.
“When we set up the family medicine accelerated track we were able to take away some of the time they might have had and allowed them to complete some of the requirements that you need to finish medical school in three years instead of four,” Dr. Rodney Young, explained.
FMAT is aimed at medical students looking to practice family medicine. The reason they are aiming the program to future primary care physicians is those are the doctors most needed in rural areas.
Since the program has been in effect they have had more than two-thirds stay and practice in West Texas.
Dr. Young said other campuses have adopted similar concepts to address the local shortages they have.
(Information from MyHighPlains.com)
