UNLV doctor shares insight on recent medical license surge

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners reported the number of medical doctors’ licenses issued for the first half of the year is up 63% compared to last year.

That’s enough licenses to bring Nevada’s number of doctors to nearly 17,000. While those numbers are helpful in the fight against our ongoing doctor shortage some Las Vegas doctors say those numbers could be misleading.

While the number of medical licenses is on the rise, that doesn’t mean more doctors are working and living in the Silver State, according to Dr. Mitchell Forman, a rheumatologist and professor at UNLV’s Kirk Kerkorian Medical School.

“There are physicians who are becoming licensed but are doing everything by telehealth. They may live in Arizona or New York, Oklahoma and so on,” Forman said.

While it’s not indicative of their practice, data from Nevada’s Board of Medical Examiners shows a number of Nevada-licensed doctors have out-of-state addresses. Forman said one way to change that statistic is to improve the quality of medical education in Nevada.

“More than 50% of students who graduate from medical school — we have three of them now — will remain in the state if there’s a place for them to train. We don’t have that,” Forman said.

Forman said that by growing graduate programs within Nevada’s medical schools, doctors would be able to remain in the state to pursue their specialties.

“We have to capture these people by growing internal medicine programs, pediatric programs, OBGYN programs,” Forman said.

Forman also emphasized that the challenges Nevada’s health care system faces aren’t just related to doctors. There is also a need for nurses, physician assistants and other health professionals, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.