LAS VEGAS (AP) - Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed a bill that authorizes $27 million for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine and aims to take a bite out of the state's chronic doctor shortage.
Sandoval approved SB514 in a ceremony at UNLV. The bill funds a wide range of state budget items, including an International Center for Excellence in Gaming Regulation, extra support for the Boyd School of Law and a new academic building at UNLV's Harrah Hotel College.
While Nevada has a medical school in Reno, UNLV says Las Vegas is the largest urban area in the U.S. without a public medical school. The state also has a low ratio of doctors to residents, ranking 45th in the country in 2010 for the number of physicians per 100,000 people.
The school plans to launch in the fall of 2017 with 60 students, and grow to as many as 180. Supporters plan to offer fully funded, four-year scholarships to all 60 members of the inaugural class.
Sandoval's budget initially set aside $8 million over the next two years for the school — less than two-thirds the amount that UNLV officials requested.