From the Dean
Thaddeus P. M. Ulzen, MD, FRCP(C), FAPA, Interim Dean
Alabama has an estimated shortage of more than 200 primary care physicians. That number is expected to rise as primary care physicians, particularly those practicing in rural areas, begin to retire and fewer physicians are there to take their place. Clearly, we need more primary care physicians in Alabama, but numbers are not enough. Primary care physicians need the kind of high quality education and training required to meet the pressing health care needs of the state, where a high percentage of the population suffers from heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic conditions.
For the past 40 years, The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences has led the way in meeting this need, educating and training nearly 400 family medicine and primary care physicians who specialize in preventing illness and managing chronic diseases. The majority of our graduates are now practicing in Alabama in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas. Continue Reading
