Physician Retraining and Reentry, Inc., a San Diego-based program that educates and trains physicians to return to practice as primary care doctors, announced today it has entered a growth investment and partnership with Teal Ventures, a leading digital healthcare venture capital firm. The partnership with Teal will allow PRR to grow its online educational program, presented in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
The program to re-educate and return experienced physicians to practice as primary care doctors was developed in association with UC San Diego School of Medicine Physician Assessment and Clinical Education Program faculty who were concerned with the physician shortage crisis in the United States. UC San Diego’s PACE program is a nationally renowned program used by state medical boards and medical facilities to evaluate physicians and their abilities and to remediate deficiencies.
Dr. David Bazzo, the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, serves as PRR’s chief medical officer and shepherds PRR’s educational modules and testing requirements aimed at returning qualified physicians to the physician work force.
PRR is the only physician retraining program that focuses on preparing long-tenured physicians to return to medicine. PRR graduates fill shortages at clinics and other facilities and are especially valuable in underserved communities that lack access to qualified doctors. During times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, PRR’s graduates serve on the medical frontlines and provide much-needed care. Because the course is online, physicians anywhere in the U.S. can participate.
“Since our founding, our No. 1 goal is to address the shortage of doctors in primary care by retraining physicians who have been away from practice for various reasons, such as retirement, family care or injuries, or who have been trained in another specialty and want to move to primary care medicine,” said PRR CEO Thomas DeRosa. “We strive to provide a top-tier, online, state-of-the art educational experience for the physicians while addressing the needs of primary care facilities and their patients. Teal embraced our vision and we are delighted to partner with them to help in these efforts and accelerate PRR’s growth.”
Teal’s partnership will expand PRR’s educational program, which consists of 15 online modules that cover a wide range of critical subject matter, such as cardiology, dermatology, medical record management and more. Participants work through the program at their own pace, giving them ample time to master each course before taking a final examination and a one-day, in-person practicum.
Upon completion, graduates receive 180 AMA PRA Category 1™ credits from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and a Certificate of Completion from PRR.
About Physician Retraining and Reentry (PRR)
Founded in 2015, PRR offers an online educational program presented in collaboration with the University of California San Diego School of Medicine faculty to give doctors career options and help solve the nation’s growing physician shortage. PRR consists of 15 online modules that cover a wide range of critical subject matter. Upon completion, graduates receive 180 AMA PRA Category 1™ credits from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Certificate of Completion from PRR. For more information visit: www.prrprogram.com
About Teal Ventures
Founded in 2019, San Diego-based Teal Ventures is an early stage venture fund working with founders, entrepreneurs and management teams focused on disruptive innovation in healthcare. The firm’s areas of focus include digital, mobile, SaaS, medical devices and artificial intelligence technologies. Teal invests early, often before seed rounds, in companies that will accelerate the commercialization of healthcare products and services, improve virtual delivery of healthcare and/or education or transform infrastructure technologies. Teal works closely with management and provides hands-on support to help build a platform for growth and success. The Teal team are startup founders and CEOs with more than 75 years combined experience in healthcare investing and operations. For more information visit: www.teal-ventures.com.