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Texas Groups Work to Expand Medical Residency Slots in Austin
The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved a plan designed to more than double the number of medical residency slots in Austin, the Austin American-Statesman reports. Under the plan, the University of Texas System, its UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the Seton Family of Hospitals will open up approximately 170 medical residency slots at two Austin hospitals that belong to Seton. Future plans for the program call for it to expand to include up to 300 more residents within the next five years. The plan calls for Seton to cover all academic, research and administrative costs associated with the plan, including the employment of additional physicians for the hospital group who would also have appointments as faculty members of UT Southwestern Medical Center. According to the president and chief executive officer at Seton, the cost of the project will likely top $100 million in the first four years. In addition, the plan calls for the three entities to establish a joint conference council to oversee medical education and research in Central Texas. Reflecting on the plan, the president of UT Southwestern notes that it will add more "reach, depth, experience and prestige to our institution." While UT System officials contend that there are no current plans to build a medical school in Austin associated with UT Southwestern, a spokesperson notes that the new agreement "increases the potential for the development of a medical campus, which might be an independent campus or associated with one or more campuses within the UT System" (Haurwitz, Austin American-Statesman, 10/12/09; Hacker, Dallas Morning News, 10/13/09; Finley/Fikak, San Antonio Express News, 10/13/09).