Gov. Greg Abbott announced three Statewide Preceptorship Program grants totaling $5.5 million to professional medical societies across the state, according to a July 13 news release from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The grants support hands-on training for Texas medical students in family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics, including pediatric subspecialties.
The funding is aimed at strengthening the state’s primary care physician workforce, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities, by introducing students to primary care early in their medical education, the agency said. The program is designed to give students a clearer understanding of the daily responsibilities and impact of primary care physicians.
“Texas families deserve quality primary care close to home,” Abbott said in the release. “These grants will give medical students early hands-on experience with practicing physicians so they can pursue careers that bring that care to rural and underserved communities. The Statewide Preceptorship Program delivers the mentorship and real-world tools students need to expand access for Texans across the state.”
Medical students typically participate in the preceptorship during the summer between their first and second years of medical school, working alongside practicing physicians to gain early exposure to primary care specialties, according to the coordinating board. Students are encouraged to complete their preceptorships in communities outside the geographic area of their medical school, an approach the agency said presents new perspectives and may influence them to choose primary care roles in high-need regions.
“The Statewide Preceptorship Program is a prime example of how we are leveraging existing workforce expertise towards building new healthcare talent across Texas,” said Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser. “Students gain valuable hands-on experience and mentoring in real-world healthcare settings, which is essential to expanding the network of primary care doctors dedicated to improving lives across all areas of Texas.”
The coordinating board administers the Statewide Preceptorship Program, which was established in 1978. For the 2026-2027 grant cycle, the agency awarded $1,941,708 to the Texas Pediatric Society, $1,616,666 to the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians and $1,941,709 to the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
With the new awards in place, the three medical societies will support the next round of student preceptorships in the coming academic cycle, extending a program that has connected Texas medical students with practicing primary care physicians for nearly five decades.