Training the Next Generation of Physicians for San Antonio

Innovative residency program partnership equips future doctors to care for patients right here in our community

San Antonio –October 2, 2024 - According to recently published data by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the US will have a projected shortage of approximately 86,000 physicians by 2036. (AAMC, March 21, 2024). Much of this need will be concentrated in areas that are already underserved medically. Here in San Antonio, a community-based Family Medicine Residency Program is growing to help alleviate the critical local shortage of primary care physicians, and with an aim to attract more doctors to practice in our city’s underserved areas.

Three partners have joined forces to make the residency program a robust pipeline for primary care physicians – the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital and CommuniCare Health Centers. Through the program, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital serves as a primary hospital-based teaching site for medical students and residents from Incarnate Word, and CommuniCare provides access and teaching for clinic-based practice.

John T. Pham, DO, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) says the Family Medicine Residency Program is specifically aimed at providing care in communities that are most in need of primary care services. “Texas Health and Human Services projects South Texas will be short 745 physicians by 2032,” said Dr. Pham. “By identifying students that have ties to our area, were raised here and know the community, our hope is that they will stay here to work and serve in their community. Our goal is to train doctors that are from Texas, in Texas and for Texas.”

Michael J. Mohr, DO, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and DIO for the Texas Institute for GME and Research says, “The importance of the collaborative partnerships between Mission Trail Baptist Hospital and Communicare is vital to provide high quality training for our Family Medicine Residents and to improve access to health care for the community on the southside of San Antonio.”

Incarnate Word’s Osteopathic Medicine program is located on the Brooks campus, near Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, making it an ideal location for medical school students to train. The residency program encompasses both a clinic setting as well as rotations within a community hospital setting. “Residents train with hands-on, direct patient care, under the supervision of their attending physicians while learning the nuances of the various specialties in medicine, with a particular focus on primary care and general medicine” said Mission Trail Baptist Hospital CEO Erik Frederick. “The program has weekly didactic sessions with residents in addition to rotations with a variety of physicians and physician groups, including adult inpatient, ICU, orthopedics, infectious disease and emergency medicine.”

For doctors like Matthew Coston, DO, who is a chief resident in the program, this partnership is an invaluable opportunity to learn while serving a population in need. “Having this alliance with the Mission Trail Baptist Hospital allows us to hone our skills with the management of our usual patient population, those who are in physician shortage areas and uninsured or underinsured, but in the hospital setting,” says Coston. “Thus providing a different vantage point and means to distribute much needed care and resources. Training here has prepared me for my future endeavor of working in resource limited populations and being able to provide top-notch care while navigating various insurers and pharmacy benefit programs, all while delivering phenomenal care to our patients. It has also afforded us the ability to meet, interact with and learn from a plethora of physician colleagues and mentors as well as other associated healthcare professionals.”

CommuniCare serves as the primary clinical site for TIGMER’s Community-Based Family Medicine Residency program, where Bridget Y. Thackeray D.O. serves as the Director of Graduate Medical Education. Thackeray says the “Residents manage their panel of patients under the guidance of experienced UIW faculty. CommuniCare also provides residents with their outpatient pediatric, obstetrics, and women’s health rotations. The resident training is further enhanced by the involvement of our community partners, such as Mission Trails Hospital system. This allows patients and residents to have a longitudinal experience, where patients can see the same physician both in the hospital and in the clinic setting, therefore facilitating more efficient and complete care, while minimizing inefficiencies and focusing on prevention and early intervention.”

Baptist Health System Chief Medical Officer Sowjanya Mohan, MD says the residency program has been welcomed by Baptist Health System physicians and physician groups who have offered to help train residents. “This is a part of who we are,” says Dr. Mohan. “We are committed to supporting and educating physicians to care for all those in our communities including and especially focusing on the underserved. Our medical staff and hospital staff want to lead by example and inspire and mentor the next generation of caretakers.”

Internal Medicine physician specialist Kimberly Mallery, MD, is one of the program’s physician preceptors. “I have been amazed at the dedication of the physicians, staff and administration in supporting the medical education of our future physicians,” said Dr. Mallery. “Hopefully many will decide to stay here and practice locally, which will help to fill the shortage of physicians and provide more access to care for our community."

Since the program’s inception, 40 residents have completed the program. All the residents who completed the program are now Board-certified Family Medicine Physicians practicing across the United States. There are six who remained with Communicare clinics and four more practicing in the San Antonio area. Additionally, five graduates were accepted into fellowships including Hospice and Palliative Care, Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine and Geriatrics. One graduate went on to complete a Preventative Medicine residency and joined the CDC Obesity Branch. Currently, there are 24 residents in the program and the residency includes three years of training.

As Coston, who spent time in San Antonio while serving in the US Army, concludes, this training is more than a continuation of his service to others, it is a calling. “Attending UIWSOM and now being able to remain in the area while continuing my medical education, with a residency program that truly aligns with and embodies the Mission, Values and Vision of UIW, is truly a blessing. Over the years I have fostered some amazing connections with some exceptional people. Being able to continue to serve the surrounding community and those most in need, while having the support of an organization so dedicated to improving health outcomes, all with a commitment to excellence is truly fulfilling.”