BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2908

By: Branch

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that Texas currently has more students who graduate from state medical schools each year than it has spots in graduate medical education programs, or "residencies," which leads many students to enroll in residency programs in other states. Those parties further argue that it is common practice for individuals to ultimately practice medicine in the same region in which they completed their residency, meaning Texas is not seeing a full return on its investment in health care education. Finally, those parties note that this comes at a time when, as the population continues to increase, Texas faces a growing need for medical professionals.

H.B. 2908 seeks to address this problem by directing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of opportunities for graduates of medical schools in Texas to enter graduate medical education in Texas.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2908 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to include in its five-year master plan for higher education an assessment of the adequacy of opportunities for graduates of medical schools in Texas to enter graduate medical education in Texas. The bill requires the assessment to compare the number of first-year graduate medical education positions available annually with the number of medical school graduates; to include a statistical analysis of recent trends in and projections of the number of medical school graduates and first-year graduate medical education positions in the state; to develop methods and strategies for achieving a ratio for the number of first-year graduate medical education positions to the number of medical school graduates in the state of at least 1.1 to 1; to evaluate current and projected physician workforce needs of the state, by total number and by specialty, in the development of additional first-year graduate medical education positions; and to examine whether the state should ensure that a first-year graduate medical education position is created in the state for each new medical student position established by a medical and dental unit.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.