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Texas continues to see a shortage of physicians, despite decades of progress

According to the Texas Medical Association, the state has 204.6 physicians per 100,000 people. The national average is closer to 245.5 per 100,000.

AUSTIN, Texas — Finding a doctor in Texas can be tough. The state is seeing a shortage of physicians to meet the demands of the growing population.

With a shortage in care, that leads to longer appointment wait times and other issues.

Kate Snedeker knows the importance of getting a checkup. She lost her dad to a rare brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, earlier this year.

"If he hadn't gone to get it checked on again when he did, he would have been a lot more negatively impacted than he was immediately after," Snedeker said.

But the University of Texas at Austin senior said getting in to see a doctor herself has been tough.

"I was put on a waitlist to see someone for mental health freshman year, and I think I'm still on it. And I'm going to be a senior," Snedeker said.

It's become a problem for patients across the Lone Star State. According to the Texas Medical Association (TMA), Texas has 204.6 physicians per 100,000 people. The national average is closer to 245.5 per 100,000.

"Over the past decade, the population of Texas has grown by about 12% or so. The physician population of Texas has about doubled that, or about 25% increase during that period of time," said Dr. Rodney Young, a former chair for TMA's Council on Medical Education.

Young said that is great progress and that those ratios used to be worse. The state has opened new medical schools and put itself on the map for up-and-coming doctors. Still, many only practice in urban areas.

"We have this vast area of Texas where you have all these rural counties with very limited access to care. So we do still have a lot of work before us," Young said.

Even in town, Snedeker said she is now starting to plan her appointments months in advance.

"I've learned that I need to, when I come home from school, I need to book it at the beginning of the summer or the beginning of winter break to make sure that I can be seen," Snedeker said.

But as new medical schools and residency programs expand, Snedeker and Young are hopeful for a more stable future for physicians and patients in Texas.

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