Training more physicians in rural Latino communities

The San Joaquin Valley suffers from a severe shortage of physicians, the area in California with the fewest doctors, nurses, nurses and practitioners per 100,000 residents. it is even known as a physician desert.

In an effort to address the critical physician shortage, a state legislator is proposing a funding plan to secure the future of medical education at the UC Merced-operated medical school, the only school of its kind in the Central Valley.

California Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria explains her reasons for initiating this proposal.

The Assemblywoman talks about the details of her proposal and how she intends to change the education for doctors and nurses in this region of the state, let’s listen to Esmeralda Soria, California State Assembly (D-27 Fresno, Madera, Merced).

She recalls the worrying figures of the lack of doctors in the San Joaquin Valley.

She specifies how her academic proposal for this project would be.

Esmeralda Soria, California State Assembly, comments that there is also a need for nurses in the community, so they are looking for community colleges to offer nursing careers.

Esmeralda Soria says that one of the concerns is that they be trained in their region and stay, for example, in the Central Valley, but she recognizes that resources are needed.

She accepts that this point is complicated because this year the California budget is going through a difficult time, now will be the plan, but hopes that in 2 years they will have resources and will begin with the educational unit.

The Assemblywoman said that in the event that they do not have enough resources, they will seek alliances and resources to make the medical school that our community needs in this area of California a reality.