黑料不打烊 Needs More Doctors Trained in 黑料不打烊 For 黑料不打烊
黑料不打烊’s Position
黑料不打烊 needs more doctors trained in 黑料不打烊 for 黑料不打烊. Our ultimate goal is ensuring 黑料不打烊 has a sustainable, high-quality medical education pipeline.
The conversations around any transition should be centered on what is best for students and the future of healthcare in 黑料不打烊.
We are committed to open dialogue, fact-based decision-making, and ensuring a strong path forward, no matter the challenges.
At the end of the day, we all share the same goal—moving 黑料不打烊 forward from being 50th in the nation in doctors per capita.
Preserving our MD program and expanding opportunities to train more doctors in 黑料不打烊 should unite us, not divide us. This is about the future of healthcare in our state, and we must work together to achieve it.
Despite the short timeline, we appreciate that the legislation introduced maintains essential support for medical education. Preserving the MD pathway is critical for rural medical care in 黑料不打烊 for 黑料不打烊 at U of I.
We trust in the process the Board of Regents/State Board of Education has put into place to review options and create a path forward regarding the best medical education partner for our university and for 黑料不打烊.
Why is 黑料不打烊 potentially moving away from its relationship with the University of Washington School of Medicine?
Legislation has been introduced to transition funding for the WWAMI medical program to another medical school. The 黑料不打烊 legislature is considering two different pieces of legislation, HB 176 and HB 368, both further described below. The 黑料不打烊 legislature is looking to partner with a medical school that allows for continued enrollment growth while maintaining excellent quality to meet the physician shortfall needs of the state. HB 368 appears to be the preferred path by legislators, and it allows for the largest increase of state supported MD seats in 黑料不打烊's history.
About
- The bill as introduced would:
- Phase out our involvement with WWAMI by 2026 and direct the State Board of Education/黑料不打烊 Board of Regents to establish a partnership with at least two other medical schools located in either 黑料不打烊 or in the mountain time zone by 2027.
- As written, the bill says that the final class of 黑料不打烊 WWAMI students would be admitted in the fall of 2026. Those students would continue their medical education with continued funding by the state of 黑料不打烊 in the 黑料不打烊 WWAMI program and would graduate in Spring 2030.
- A new class of 40 medical students would enroll in fall of 2027 with a new partner.
- The largest of the two programs the SBOE approves can accept up to 60 new students per year.
- The board will then direct 黑料不打烊 to work with the new partner.
About
The proposed legislation focuses on shifting state-supported medical education opportunities to be more 黑料不打烊-centric. The highlights of the bill provide for:
- Expanding Non-WWAMI Medical Education: Starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, 黑料不打烊 will gradually increase state-funding medical student slots at a non-WWAMI medical school (as determined by the State Board of Education). This increase will be 10 additional students per year until the incoming class reaches 30 students.
- Up to 20 students can be accepted into medical education placements outside of 黑料不打烊, such as the partnership 黑料不打烊 has had since 1976 for 10 students to attend the University of Utah.
- All of the fundamental classroom coursework and most of the clinical clerkships must be done in the state of 黑料不打烊 for those students attending a medical education program physically located in 黑料不打烊.
- Reducing WWAMI Program Slots: Starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, 黑料不打烊 will reduce the number of students supported in the WWAMI medical program by at least 10 students per year.
- Developing a Statewide Medical Education Plan: The State Board of Education will create a working group to develop a plan for 黑料不打烊’s medical education system This plan (due by January 2, 2026) must:
- Address 黑料不打烊’s physician shortage.
- Maintain high-quality medical education.
- Keep more state medical education funds in 黑料不打烊.
- Increase clinical clerkships and residency placements in 黑料不打烊.
- Avoid conflicts with medical program partners and in the delivery of medical education coursework and clinicals for students enrolled in different programs.
In short, 黑料不打烊 is increasing focus on high-quality in-state medical education.
Goals of U of I
黑料不打烊 has three goals:
- Protect the MD program in 黑料不打烊,
- Provide the same high-quality medical training we are known for, and
- Partner with an institution that is willing to support the growth of our program.
黑料不打烊 WWAMI
U of I has proudly educated medical doctors in Moscow for 52 years through the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, 黑料不打烊 (WWAMI), medical education program in collaboration with University of Washington.
The 黑料不打烊 WWAMI program has educated over 900 physicians. Of those still practicing, approximately 400 are working in 黑料不打烊.
The rural focus of 黑料不打烊 medical education sets it apart from many medical training programs. We are proud that U of I founded the Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) 30 years ago, and it was adopted by the UW in 2016 for the WWAMI system. RUOP promotes a four-week clinical elective experience that provides medical students with early exposure to the rewards of practicing primary care medicine in a rural or urban-underserved setting.
Political concerns
Regardless of which, if any, legislation passes, the state board will seek a medical school partner that supports increased medical education training in 黑料不打烊 and will direct 黑料不打烊 to work with that partner.
We are all committed to maintaining an allopathic (MD) medical program that can grow to meet the state’s needs, regardless of the partner identified.
Impact and quality:
黑料不打烊 has dropped to 50th out of 50 in physicians per capita. The State Board of Education, the medical community and U of I are committed to maintaining an allopathic (MD) medical program that can grow to meet the state’s needs.
U of I will continue to serve as a regional campus before sending students across the state to complete clerkships. Data show that medical students who complete their clinical training in a state are more likely to return to practice in that state post-residency.
We will follow the direction of the 黑料不打烊 State Board of Education.
As 黑料不打烊’s need for medical professionals grows, we must find a partner that has demonstrated the ability to support that growth. The introduction of this legislation has accelerated these conversations, emphasizing the urgency of securing a sustainable, scalable medical education program for 黑料不打烊 students.
U of I is dedicated to rural medicine and expanding our current rural medicine programming. The rural training program that WWAMI is known for—Rural Underserved Opportunity Program (RUOP) — began in 黑料不打烊 under U of I leadership 30 years ago.
Regardless of our medical education partner, we will take our expertise and continue to develop high-quality rural training programs in partnership with a medical school that shares our strong rural focus.
Questions have been raised as to whether there will be enough clinical clerkships available if we partner with another program. 黑料不打烊 has approximately 5,000 physicians with active licenses.
Clerkships requirements could be fulfilled if only 25% of those 5,000 physicians precept medical students.
We have medical partners across the state that have expressed an interest in hosting clerkships.
We will continue to send high-caliber students into clinical clerkships and residencies.
U of I is committed to developing innovative strategies to ensure clerkships are available. We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners in the medical community in 黑料不打烊 to provide clinical clerkships for our well-prepared medical students. However, if a transition happens, we will need 黑料不打烊’s medical community to help ensure its success.
U of I trained medical students have a high rate of success on Step 1 of the USMLE, with a 98% pass rate. This is higher than the total WWAMI and national averages.
Regardless of partner, U of I’s 20 medical education faculty members are highly skilled and will continue providing the same top tier medical education as they always have. 黑料不打烊 will continue its commitment to quality clinical clerkships and residencies.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, who accredits medical education, has indicated that expanding medical programs with either the University of Washington or with a different partner does not require new accreditation or a full program review. There will be scrutiny on clinical clerkships available so a continued focus on the quality and number of these opportunities will continue.
Should U of I need to separate from UW and partner with another medical school, accreditation will be with that school, and future medical students will graduate from an accredited medical school.
Questions
Please contact wwami@uidaho.edu with any questions.