The University of Texas Science Health Center (UTHSC) will spend nearly $2 million over the next five years to develop training for doctors to identify and help patients with addiction problems, the San Antonio Express-News reported Nov. 19.

Money from a new federal grant has been earmarked to train young physicians to recognize alcohol and other drug problems, intervene, and make treatment referrals.

"It's not something that they readily teach you in medical school," said UTHSC pediatric resident Tony Urang, who is currently receiving training. "It's a very sensitive topic, so it's hard to broach, so there's definitely an art in the way you bring it up."

"We want to screen people through special interview techniques and briefly intervene on their lives, get them to understand this is a problem," said Janet Williams, a UTHSC pediatrics professor who is training new physicians. "We want them to be much more aware of what are the resources out there."

Pediatric and family medicine residents will be the first to receive training, followed by OB-GYN, psychiatry, and trauma physicians.

UTHSC is one of 11 sites in the country awarded the grant money.