by MARK WIGGINS / KVUE News and photojournalist JOHN GUSKY

kvue.com

Posted on October 30, 2012 at 6:25 PM

Updated yesterday at 6:41 PM

AUSTIN -- Practicing with high-tech medical mannequins at the University of Texas School of Nursing, future health care professionals will soon choose a medical specialty, and by extension, a home.

"If you picked a specialty and they don't really have a center for that here in Austin, then that means you're more likely to move around," student Randall Luce told KVUE at a media event Tuesday morning.

"A lot of our students stay here. A lot of them go out across the state," said University of Texas President Bill Powers. "There is a critical shortage of doctors in the state and in some specialties we can build on in providing even better care and the safety net for underserved citizens."

Powers met with media Tuesday in part to dispel what he calls some of the biggest misconceptions regarding Central Health Prop 1 on the Travis County ballot. He says the idea the state's flagship university should have enough money to finance a new medical school by itself is just wrong.

"We are for affordable education, keeping tuition as low as possible. We are for keeping taxpayers' commitment as low as possible. On a per student per year basis, we are at the very bottom of funding," said Powers, who argues that the University of Texas's resources are stretched thin in comparison to flagship universities in other states. "In our comparison group, we are both a low tuition, low general revenue," explained Powers. "We include oil money in that calculation, and we're still at the bottom in that."

"UT's not the only one struggling for funds, and they need to realize that. The taxpayers are financially struggling as well," said Don Zimmerman with the Travis County Taxpayers Union, a political committee formed to fight the proposal.

Read this article:
Supporters, opponents tackle talking points before medical school vote