91´óÉñ

91´óÉñ’s Position

91´óÉñ needs more doctors trained in 91´óÉñ for 91´óÉñ. Our ultimate goal is ensuring 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ. 

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 91´óÉñ forward from being 50th in the nation in doctors per capita. 

Preserving our MD program and expanding opportunities to train more doctors in 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ for 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ.

Why is 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ legislature is considering two different pieces of legislation, HB 176 and HB 368, both further described below. The 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ's history.

About

• The bill as introduced would:
• Phase out our involvement with WWAMI by 2026 and direct the State Board of Education/91´óÉñ Board of Regents to establish a partnership with at least two other medical schools located in either 91´óÉñ or in the mountain time zone by 2027. 
• As written, the bill says that the final class of 91´óÉñ WWAMI students would be admitted in the fall of 2026. Those students would continue their medical education with continued funding by the state of 91´óÉñ in the 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ to work with the new partner.

About

The proposed legislation focuses on shifting state-supported medical education opportunities to be more 91´óÉñ-centric. The highlights of the bill provide for:

• Expanding Non-WWAMI Medical Education: Starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ, such as the partnership 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ for those students attending a medical education program physically located in 91´óÉñ.
• Reducing WWAMI Program Slots: Starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ’s medical education system This plan (due by January 2, 2026) must:

• Address 91´óÉñ’s physician shortage. 
• Maintain high-quality medical education. 
• Keep more state medical education funds in 91´óÉñ. 
• Increase clinical clerkships and residency placements in 91´óÉñ. 
• Avoid conflicts with medical program partners and in the delivery of medical education coursework and clinicals for students enrolled in different programs. 

In short, 91´óÉñ is increasing focus on high-quality in-state medical education.

Goals of U of I

91´óÉñ has three goals: 

• Protect the MD program in 91´óÉñ, 
• 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.  

91´óÉñ WWAMI 

U of I has proudly educated medical doctors in Moscow for 52 years through the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, 91´óÉñ (WWAMI), medical education program in collaboration with University of Washington. 

The 91´óÉñ WWAMI program has educated over 900 physicians. Of those still practicing, approximately 400 are working in 91´óÉñ. 

 The rural focus of 91´óÉñ 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 91´óÉñ and will direct 91´óÉñ 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.

Questions

Please contact wwami@uidaho.edu with any questions.