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More UND Med School grads staying in ND

The dean of the University of North Dakota Medical School says over the past few years, more med school graduates have decided to stay and practice in North Dakota.

Doctor Joshua Wynne told the Legislature’s interim Health Services Committee – about 71 percent of the med school grads stay in-state. Wynne says that’s due, in part, to an increase in the number of residencies the Legislature approved two years ago.

"If you recall, way back, two years ago when I first made the presentation about the additional residencies, I set as our target, 75 percent," said Wynne. "And I think, from the slope of the graph, we're well on our way of achieving that."

Wynne said if the state can keep 75 percent of the graduates, that would be an enormous benefit to the state of North Dakota.

"That would really help mitigate our workforce needs in the future," said Wynne.

Wynne also says there are other reasons more med school graduates are staying.

"We, working with the hospital systems, are doing a better job of actively soliciting the graduates, rather than leaving it passive," Wynne said. "A second part is, quite frankly, the growth in the health care environment in North Dakota."

Wynne says in his budget proposal for the 2013-2015 biennium, he will be asking for more residencies.

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