ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — UNM Hospital will have more residency slots opening up for people looking to become ophthalmologists.

UNMH has been awarded just over three direct graduate medical education slots and just over three indirect medical education residency slots for its ophthalmology program. These ophthalmology residency slots are part of 1,000 new Medicare-funded residency positions the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 created.

“We need more doctors in places like New Mexico and we’re getting them. We need more so I’m going to keep fighting for this,” said New Mexico U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who voted for the CAA.

Only 14.4% of medical need is reportedly met in New Mexico and 30 of the 33 counties in our state are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. To eliminate the HPSA designations, our state still reportedly needs 401 more practitioners.