Photo caption: Texas A&M University–Kingsville will serve as a training site for medical students under a new rural campus program aimed at addressing physician shortages across the Coastal Bend. Photo by Claudia Perez Rivas / Kingsville Independent News
KINGSVILLE — A new medical training program in Kingsville aims to address local health care shortages by placing future physicians in clinics across the Coastal Bend during their final years of medical school.
Patients in the region often wait months for appointments and, in many cases, must travel outside the area for specialty care, realities local providers say reflect ongoing physician shortages.
The Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine has launched its Rural Campus–Kingsville in partnership with Texas A&M University–Kingsville, creating a clinical training site where third- and fourth-year medical students can complete part of their education while working alongside local providers.
The program allows students to relocate to Kingsville during their clinical years and train with physicians across Kleberg, Nueces, Bee, Jim Wells and Kenedy counties, with the goal of increasing the likelihood they return to practice in rural and underserved areas.
A closer look at local health care gaps
Local providers say the need for additional physicians in the region is already evident.
“The most significant healthcare gap in Kingsville and the surrounding communities is the shortage of Primary Care Providers (PCPs),” Dr. Martin Boyd, an obstetrician and gynecologist with CHRISTUS Health, said in an interview with Kingsville Independent News.
“This shortage limits access to preventive care, chronic disease management, and timely referrals to specialty services, placing increased strain on the entire healthcare system,” he added.
Boyd said the issue extends beyond primary care, with shortages in specialties including neurology, dermatology, psychiatry, gynecologic oncology and urology.
“Average wait times range from 3 to 6 months for both primary and specialty care appointments,” Boyd said, noting that many patients must travel outside the area to receive care.
How the rural campus will function
Under the new model, medical students will be integrated into daily clinical settings, participating in patient care under the supervision of local physicians.
Boyd said students will take part in clinic operations, deliveries and surgical procedures as members of the care team.
“This integration allows students to function as part of the care team while gaining hands-on experience in a community-based setting,” he said.
The program is expected to host up to eight students per year.
What this means for Kingsville
While the number of students is relatively small, providers and program leaders describe the initiative as both an immediate support system and a long-term investment in the region’s health care workforce.
Boyd said the presence of medical students is expected to bring short-term benefits, including improved clinic efficiency and additional support for providers, while also contributing to workforce development over time.
Longer term, the goal is to build a pipeline of physicians with direct experience in communities like Kingsville.
“By spending time in these communities, engaging with community leaders who show them what it would be like to live and work there, and learning from rural physician mentors, many of our students have expressed a desire to return to these sites after residency,” Curtis Donaldson, executive director of the Rural Medicine Program, said in an interview with Kingsville Independent News.
“Medical students weigh many factors when determining where to practice long-term, their family/life stage, specialty, and residency location, among others,” he added.
Community perspective on access
For organizations serving underserved populations, access to care involves more than provider availability.
“Patients in our service area face a multitude of barriers, however three common barriers include: the cost of health care; provider shortages and transportation,” Ann Awalt, executive director of the Community Action Corporation of South Texas, said in an interview with Kingsville Independent News.
Awalt said rural and underserved areas continue to face some of the most severe gaps in health care access across Texas.
“Rural rotations in Community Health Centers are a proven strategy to address physician shortages in rural areas,” she said. “They not only improve students’ understanding of rural healthcare but also significantly increase the likelihood that they will choose to practice in those communities.”
She added that long-term retention depends on factors such as structured training, mentorship, support networks and financial incentives.
Why Kingsville was selected
“Since the Rural Medicine Program was founded in 2021, we have had strong partners across the Coastal Bend supporting our efforts and vision,” Amy L. Waer, dean of the College of Medicine, said in an interview with Kingsville Independent News.
“Our established partnerships with providers in the region, coupled with TAMUK’s infrastructure, collaboration and shared vision for the future of health care in Kingsville and beyond made it the perfect location for our first rural-focused campus,” she added.
Waer added that the college also uses federal data identifying Health Professional Shortage Areas to help guide decisions about where to expand programs.
A long-term approach to a complex issue
The Rural Campus–Kingsville builds on the college’s broader Rural Medicine Program, launched in 2021 to strengthen the pipeline of physicians serving rural communities.
Students will train with providers across multiple health systems, including CHRISTUS Spohn Health System, CACOST clinics and Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
Program leaders said success will be measured by student interest, community partnerships and, over time, how many physicians return to practice in the region.
“There is not a simple or single fix-all for the challenges facing rural health care,” Donaldson said. “We are confident that this experience will increase the likelihood of Aggie doctors returning to practice in the region.”
Looking ahead
For Kingsville, the program represents both a near-term addition to local health care capacity and a longer-term effort to address persistent provider shortages. Whether that effort translates into more physicians practicing in the area will take time to determine, but for local providers and community leaders, the presence of medical students marks a step toward building a more sustainable health care workforce in the region.