SANTA CRUZ >> UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis were recently allocated $1.5 million in state funding to train future doctors committed to serving Central Coast communities. State Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin led the effort to ensure the program’s funding.

“I’m proud to have secured funding to expand healthcare access across our region,” said Laird in a statement. “The PRIME Central Coast partnership between UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz marks a major step forward in preparing the next generation of doctors to serve the Central Coast — and lays a strong foundation for a future medical school in our community.”

The $1.5 million, secured by the signing of the state budget by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be used for the launch of the UC Programs in Medical Education Central Coast, or PRIME Central Coast program, which is a partnership between UC Davis and UCSC that will train medical students to work in rural and underserved communities along the Central Coast.

“UC Santa Cruz is deeply committed to meeting the health care needs of the Central Coast, and this is an important step in our efforts,” UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive said in a statement. “We are grateful for the financial support of the legislature and governor, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, and especially appreciate the advocacy and vision of Sen. John Laird. We are also thankful to the UC Davis School of Medicine for their support and partnership to establish a medical school pathway with our campus. PRIME Central Coast will be a good complement to UC Davis Rural-PRIME and will focus on training the future physicians so needed in our region.”

The new program, which will admit its inaugural class in fall 2027, complements the existing PRIME programs, and will educate medical students about the needs of underserved communities across the state, where they will also perform clinical rotations. Graduates of the program will ultimately serve as medical professionals in those underserved regions.

“Establishing PRIME Central Coast is an important investment in the future healthcare access on the Central Coast,” said Pellerin in a statement. “Together, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis are creating a pipeline for training the next generation of physicians who understand the unique challenges facing our rural and underserved communities. This is not just about medical education — it’s about building a healthier, more equitable future for our residents.”

PRIME Central Coast is in part a strategy to combat the growing physician shortage in the state. According to the statement from UCSC, 60% of Californians who pursue medical education must leave the state for their training, and by 2030, California will have about 11.5% fewer physicians than are needed, with the Central Coast region experiencing an approximate 19% shortfall in primary care doctors, which is the worst gap in the state.

“We are proud to partner with UC Santa Cruz to expand the reach of the UC Davis School of Medicine and address the physician shortage in California’s Central Coast,” said Dr. Tonya Fancher, the associate dean for Workforce Innovation and Education Quality at the UC Davis School of Medicine, in a statement. “By training students in the communities they aim to serve, PRIME Central Coast will help ensure a future workforce of physicians who are not only highly skilled, but also deeply connected to the region’s unique health care needs.”