Texas is facing a major shortage of doctors, reports WFAA.
In fact, the Lone Star State ranks 47th among all states when it comes to having enough doctors to successfully treat its populace. The numbers come courtesy of a new report from the American Association of medical colleges.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that Texas does not have enough residencies for the number of doctors it graduates. So these doctors, after graduation, move on to other states and tend to stay gone.
Carlos Rezende is a spokesman for UT Health. He said, “if we had more training positions here in Texas, we would be able to accommodate more of our own graduates who wouldn't have to leave Texas to learn the specialty.” The doctor shortage is particularly pronounced in rural parts of the state, such as West Texas.