ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A University of New Mexico dean has announced plans to ask the state to fund full-ride scholarships to medical students who commit to practicing within the state.

The Albuquerque Journal reported Monday that medical school dean Paul Roth has plans to ask the state for $6 million in additional scholarships to create the program.

State officials have estimated an additional $907 million would be available in the coming budget because of an increase in oil production in the southeast.

Roth says he announced the suggestion to address a shortage of doctors in the state.

The dean says the state would pay for upfront cost of medical school with the expectation that the doctor would return to New Mexico and practice for a period or would be subjected to a penalty.

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