The University of Mississippi Medical Center is expanding its School of Medicine class this fall to help prepare more doctors as Mississippi continues to face a physician shortage, UMMC said. The incoming class of 175 students represents the eighth straight year of enrollment growth, the medical center said in a news release.
UMMC, the state’s academic medical center, trains physicians and other health professionals and provides clinical care and education across Mississippi. The center has emphasized expanding medical education as one strategy to increase the supply of physicians available to serve communities statewide.
Officials say steady enrollment growth aims to strengthen the pipeline of doctors who may ultimately practice in the state, potentially improving access to care in underserved and rural areas. The continued increases reflect a sustained institutional commitment to addressing workforce needs.
Graduating more medical students is one step in addressing shortages; retaining those physicians in Mississippi will also depend on residency training, practice opportunities and other factors. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
