Doug Thompson on the satellite medical school

Doug Thompson takes up the UAMS satellite medical school campus in his Saturday column. He writes that there's no need in discussing other professional schools in Arkansas as was done in a recent poll here "when there's not enough primary care physicians or vital specialists for them to refer patients to."

Some readers I've heard from since the poll have taken a regional stand on this issue, and it's not a northwest vs. central Arkansas debate. I think it's a fiscal debate and one that should turn on whether a satellite campus is needed. Initially, the proposed expansion was to cost about $ 11 million annually, a figure that has since been modified to the $5-$8 million range. UAMS says that the project will allow them to train about 250 to 295 more students and residents annually.

How does rural Arkansas attract an increased number of physicians in the state? As Thompson points out in his column, supply and demand isn't increasing the number of doctors in rural counties. I don't think the congressional district quota is the answer. This is likely a topic for a future blog post, but I know one incentive programs exists specifically for this issue: Arkansas Community Match Loan and Rural Physician Recruitment Program.