UIW SOM Gets Multi-Million Dollar Funding for Residency Programs

State Grants Totaling $10.8 Million to Fund Future Physicians in Underserved Specialties

San Antonio – The University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) was awarded $10.875 million in grant funds by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 31, 2020. The awards will be used to fund residency programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Psychiatry over the next two years. All three of UIWSOM’s funded residencies are in medical specialties facing a shortage of physicians.

“These awards are very much a credit to the incredible work being done by the students, faculty and staff at UIWSOM,” says Dr. Thomas Evans, UIW president. “It is truly fitting that, as we celebrate the jubilee of the founding of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, we should be honored to receive the kind of grant that will allow us to fulfill the Sisters’ Mission of helping those who need it most.”

“We are grateful to the Texas Legislature and the THECB for their foresight and generous support of graduate medical education in Texas,” says Dr. Robyn Phillips-Madson, dean at UIWSOM. “This will ultimately improve access to high quality care in the communities we serve.”

The state grants come from the State of Texas Graduate Medical Education Expansion program. This program provides funds to residency programs in the State of Teas to expand the number of medical residencies in an effort to attract physicians to Texas and keep graduating medical students in Texas. Numerous studies show that physicians tend to remain and practice near the areas where they finish their residency programs.

“This award allows us to concentrate on primary care for underserved populations,” says Marsha Sellner, assistant dean for Graduate Medical Education. “We can do so by focusing on mental health and preventive care and by training new doctors who are comfortable committing their careers to caring for underserved communities.”

The funds will be used over the two-year project period to pay medical resident salaries, administrative costs for the residency programs and for professional staff to manage the residency programs. Partner organizations include CommuniCare, Southwest General Hospital, WellMed, the South Texas VA, and Center for Health Care Services.