Public postsecondary education: University of California, Merced: medical education.

Assembly Member Arambula's proposal to establish the University of California, Merced Medical Education Collaborative aims to address physician shortages in California's San Joaquin Valley through a $15 million annual appropriation beginning July 2026. The collaborative, operating as a branch campus of the UC San Francisco School of Medicine, would develop programs to train and retain medical professionals in a region where primary care physician ratios fall well below recommended levels - just 47 physicians per 100,000 patients compared to the recommended 60-80 per 100,000.

The bill requires the collaborative to create initiatives identifying eligible medical residents and connecting them with physician retention programs, including the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program. This builds upon UCM's existing San Joaquin Valley PRIME+ pathway program, which enrolled its first undergraduate cohort in 2023 and expects its inaugural medical school class in 2027. The collaborative's approach focuses on both recruiting students from the region and establishing new residency programs, as data indicates physicians often practice where they complete their training.

The legislation responds to documented healthcare access challenges across California, where 72 percent of counties face primary care physician shortages according to the California Health Care Foundation. The state currently ranks 43rd nationally in medical students per capita, with 21.1 students per 100,000 residents compared to the national average of 37.9. While the collaborative represents an interim step, the bill's findings indicate UCM's long-term goal involves developing an independent medical school to serve the region's growing healthcare needs.