• Sushilla Z Knottenbelt, Marlene P Ballejos, Diana Torrez, Richard Santos, Rebecca S Hartley, Kate Cartwright, Sally A Fortner, Robert E Sapién, and Valerie Romero-Leggott.
• Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, MSC03 2060 Clark Hall 102, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States.
• Fam Pract. 2024 Nov 20.

BackgroundThe University of New Mexico School of Medicine established the combined baccalaureate/medical degree (BA/MD) program in response to critical physician shortages in New Mexico (NM). This 8-year program aims to improve health care in NM by expanding access to medical education for local students, particularly from rural and underserved communities and/or racial/ethnically underrepresented in medicine (URiM) in NM.ObjectivesTo describe the BA/MD program's initial design, the impact of improvements on retention, and the outcomes in terms of physicians in practice, particularly in primary care specialties.MethodsThe study reviews the BA/MD program's progress from 2006 to 2023, focusing on curriculum and support enhancements. Retention rates and choice of primary care specialties were analyzed by geographic origin and racial/ethnic background.ResultsFrom 2006 to 2023, the program graduated 81 physicians, with 53 practicing in 10 of NM's 33 counties. Approximately two-thirds specialize in primary care, and a similar proportion are URiM. Students from 31 of NM's 33 counties were admitted, with two-thirds coming from outside the state's metropolitan area. Overall retention and retention across demographic groups improved significantly in the baccalaureate phase of the program due to changes in curriculum and support services.ConclusionsThe program has effectively addressed physician shortages in NM, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Its success in training and retaining physicians from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on primary care, is crucial for improving health care access in the state. Ongoing improvements in the program are essential to sustaining and enhancing these outcomes.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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