CA AB730

Appropriates $15 million annually from the General Fund to UC Merced's Medical Education Collaborative, a branch campus of UCSF School of Medicine, beginning July 1, 2026

Requires the UC Merced Medical Education Collaborative to develop a program identifying eligible medical residents and assisting them in applying for physician retention programs, including the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program

Addresses severe primary care physician shortages in the San Joaquin Valley, which has only 47 primary care physicians per 100,000 patients compared to the recommended 60-80 per 100,000

Supports the San Joaquin Valley PRIME+ (SJVPP) bachelor's to medical doctor degree pathway, with the first combined class entering medical school in 2027 and graduating in 2031

Aims to increase physician workforce diversity and lay the foundation for UC Merced to eventually establish an independent medical school