California state budget allots $7 million for new residency slots

To meet the increased need for medical services, the California legislature and governor have enacted a 2014-2015 state budget that includes $7 million for new primary care residency slots.

Of these funds, $4 million will go to residency programs seeking to increase the number of residents they train. In an effort to keep physicians in California, terms of the budget require that programs with graduates from California-based medical schools receive priority for these funds. This stipulation is in response to evidence that physicians are more likely to practice in the state where they received their medical degrees and training.

The remaining $3 million will be used to expand the state’s Song-Brow Program. The program aims to increase healthcare in medically underserved areas and provide financial support to family practice residency, family nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses statewide. The additional funds will expand the program to include family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatric primary care.

Source: AMA Wire