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California is suffering a severe doctor shortage. But then again, so does most of America.
After only meeting 54% of its primary care needs, California is struggling to put physicians out in the field. One of the solutions proposed is establishing more medical schools so that there are more doctors graduating and supplementing the physician workforce.
The problem is that medical schools themselves aren’t exactly affordable. And in a place like California, where inflation is rocketing to sky high levels, it’s even more unfathomable. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any affordable medical schools in the Golden State.
If anything, this doctor shortage might be the exact reason why California is becoming a hotbed for medical aspirants to move to. Let’s discuss:
- Affordable Medical Schools In California
- Studying Medicine In The Golden State
- Physician Shortage Making Room For More Medical Schools
Less Doctors More Medical Schools?
A physician shortage is what directly leads to inaccessibility when it comes to healthcare. And in a state as densely populated as California, that is a huge problem. Especially when said population is only increasing.
Despite one of the highest numbers of active specialist physicians by state, California’s healthcare system is struggling due to its comparatively lesser number of active primary care physicians. It is on the lower side when it comes to graduating medical students, ranking 26th in America.
So, where does that leave California? Well, it needs a boost of 8000 primary care physicians to facilitate a shrinking medical fraternity. And shrinking is right, with one third of the active physicians in the state retiring by 2030.
To compensate for this upcoming lack of physicians, California is looking to establish more MD programs in-state and increase the number of medical graduates through affordable medical schooling.
While that might be overlooking the fact that the problem isn’t just a lack of doctors but a failing of the graduate medical system, it does open up avenues for those that want to pursue medicine irregardless.
And those people are in luck. California is focusing all their attention on opening affordable medical schools in areas with acute physician shortages, such as in the San Joaquin Valley which will be getting its new medical school in Kent County. This expands medical education opportunities like at UC Merced and helps pave the way towards medical equity.
It also means that the number of spots for MD training in California is increasing exponentially. Will that solve the inherent physician shortage issue? Only time will tell. But until then, at least this will open up opportunities for more pre-med students to study medicine.
Studying Medicine In California For Less
Since California is trying so hard to retain its physician workforce and bulk it up overtime, the idea of making medical schools more affordable is one in play.
For one thing, it helps make sure that deserving and capable students get a proper shot at medicine. It also helps diversify the student body, leading to more health equity in the long run. We saw affordable medical schooling work out in states as big as New York and Texas, so why not in California?
And surprisingly, there are quite a few of them in the Golden State, even a tuition free option. So, let’s dive in.
1. Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Probably starting out as the only true tuition free option on this list, the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School Of Medicine was established in 2019.
It promised that its first six batches would pay no fees outside of housing, but even that is a boon in a state like California. So, as long as you enroll before Fall 2026, you’re good to go!
2. David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
The David Geffen School Of Medicine comes under the umbrella of the University Of California, making it a public medical school. And its tuition fees reflect that at $24,000 per year. However, where David Geffen stands out is thanks to its generous institutional aid grants, which are the third highest in the entire country.
3. University of California – San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine
Another University Of California entry, the San Diego School Of Medicine is actually the more expensive option out of all the medical schools associated with them. Studying a single year at UCSD can cost you upwards of $32,000.
But just like with David Geffen, UCSD has many financial aid programs and scholarships to supplement its student body. This leads them to having lower rates of medical student debt when compared to the state average.
4. University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
Riverside School Of Medicine gets the benefit of having lower tuition fees than other medical schools in the state, thanks to its public status. It isn’t the cheapest option, at $39,000 per year, but it isn’t the worst either.
And its status as a research forward medical institute is near unparalleled, which is a rarity outside of medical research hotbeds such as Massachusetts and New York. It also happens to have the Dean’s Mission Award, a financial aid program that promises to cover tuition fees for students that commit to working in primary care for five years after graduating.
5. University of California, Davis School of Medicine
The Davis School Of Medicine is a popular pick for California medical hopefuls due to it being nationally ranked as the best in the region. But though it is affordable than most due to it being a public medical school, the tuition fees is still a formidable $46,000 per annum.
However, the Davis School Of Medicine is known for being able to afford almost all of its students some form of financial aid, and more than half of them graduate debt free, which is a huge factor for future healthcare practitioners.
Sadly, California isn’t a cheap state to study medicine in. But that doesn’t mean it’s all hopeless for those of you who want to stay in the sunshine and not break the bank to become a doctor.
