LOS ANGELES -- A program launched in 2018 by the University of California (UC) Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, has been helping address an acute shortage of primary care doctors, especially in rural areas.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could see a shortfall of between 38,000 to 124,000 doctors by 2034.

In California's rural Central Valley, finding a doctor can be a challenge for some patients. There are about 45 doctors per 100,000 residents, which is 55-percent less than in many metropolitan areas just a few hours away.

"What we are seeing nationally as well as in California is there is a huge shortage of primary care physicians. I think the reason that matters is we know that the more primary care physicians there are, the longer people live in that community," said Dr Tonya Fancher, Associate Dean for Workforce Innovation and Community Engagement at the UC Davis Medical Center.

Five years ago, Doctor Fancher helped launch a program called 'Reimagining Education to Advance Central California Health' or REACH, which identifies potential students who are willing to relocate to under-served areas of the state to train for an entire year.

"We all look for the best and brightest, right? The next Nobel Laureate in medicine. But what we haven't always done is look for the students who are going to return to care in the areas that are needed. The more we can create clear pathways for students to return to the areas of need, I think that that's what we have to do," said Dr Fancher.

Medical student Benjamin Vincent is from the small, rural town of Modesto, California. Through REACH, he has returned as a medical resident to work in his hometown.

"The smile it puts on their face to know that, hey, one, you are from here, and two, I know you at a personal level. I think it already builds a sense of trust and it kind of allows you to do your job as a physician much more efficiently and it just makes it more meaningful, everything you do. You wake up excited to go to work and to learn something new because you know it's not just going to help people, but it's helping family, friends, people you truly care about," Vincent said.

Vincent eventually plans to return to work permanently in California's Central Valley. He's also helped run an empowerment conference, encouraging minorities to pursue a career in medicine despite the obstacles, especially the cost of a medical education.

"Individuals who have parents who are maybe migrant farm workers, and they are now the ones for their generation that get to go out and do something for their family. And so we have sessions for their parents to say hey, I understand this is going to cost a lot of money and it's not going to get done in a year, but at the end of this it's not going to only change your child's life, but it can change your family's life," said Vincent.