WWAMI Regional Medical Education Program

Last updated

The University of Washington School of Medicine's WWAMI Regional Medical Education Program (often merely referred to as "WWAMI", pronounced "wammy") is a partnership in the western United States, established in 1971 between the state of Washington, the University of Washington and the states of Wyoming (joined in 1996), Alaska, Montana and Idaho, hence the acronym "WWAMI."

Contents

Background

In 1970, prompted by the shortage of primary care physicians that have historically affected rural areas, the UW School of Medicine created a four-state (later five-state, with the inclusion of Wyoming in 1996) community-based medical education program with the goal of increasing the number of primary care physicians throughout the northwest United States.

WWAMI was created as a regional medical education program for neighboring states that, at the time, lacked their own medical schools, (The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine was founded in 2016 in Meridian, ID, and Washington State University founded the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane, WA in 2015) while also encouraging physicians-in-training to eventually stay and practice in the region, [1] as the amount of time students spend in a given state is thought to increase their likelihood of practicing there after graduation. [2] The program is largely considered a success, and serves as a model for comprehensive regional medical education. [1]

Prior to the addition of Wyoming in 1996, the program was known as "WAMI." [3] That state's previous arrangement was with the private Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. [4]

Program

The program has five stated goals: [5]

  1. Provide publicly supported medical education
  2. Increase the number of primary care physicians and correct the maldistribution of physicians
  3. Provide community-based medical education
  4. Expand graduate medical education and continuing medical education
  5. Provide all of these in a cost-effective manner

The program model uses existing state universities in the five states for the first 18 months of medical school - the Foundations Phase - the equivalent of years one and two. For the third and fourth years of clinical education, sites across the five states are used. There are over 3,000 individual physicians affiliated with WWAMI that are available for the required and elective clerkships. [2]

The program provides in-state tuition rates for all parts of the program, dramatically reducing educational costs. [6] Each state subsidizes tuition for their students. With only a limited number of spots available, admission is competitive. [5] [7]

Participating Schools

The following schools participate in the WWAMI program: [8]

Class sizes in each of the WWAMI states

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sky Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2023, full member institutions are located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Two affiliate members from California are football–only participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport</span> Airport in Whitman County, Washington

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport is a public airport in the northwest United States, located in Whitman County, Washington, two miles (3 km) east of Pullman, Washington and four miles (6 km) west of Moscow, Idaho. The airport is accessed via spurs from State Route 270, and has a single 7,101-foot (2,164 m) runway, headed northeast–southwest (5/23), which entered service in October 2019. The former runway (6/24) was 6,730 feet (2,051 m) and aligned with Moscow Mountain twelve miles (20 km) to the northeast, the highest summit in the area.

Daniel Lloyd Monson is an American college basketball coach. He is the outgoing head coach at Long Beach State. Previously he was head coach at Minnesota for over seven seasons, reaching postseason play five times. Before coaching the Gophers, he was the head coach at Gonzaga for two seasons, leading the team on an improbable run to the Elite Eight during his last season.

Christopher Joseph Tormey is a former American football coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho Vandals</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Idaho

The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho. The Vandals compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Big Sky Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Washington School of Medicine</span> Medical school

The University of Washington School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Washington, a public research university in Seattle, Washington. According to U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Graduate School rankings, University of Washington School of Medicine ranked #1 in the nation for primary care education, and #7 for research.

George Pfeifer is an American college basketball coach, whose last assignment was as an assistant coach at Montana State University in Bozeman.

The Spokane Public Library and Spokane County Library District system provide the Spokane area with access to information and study space. Secondary education is provided by Spokane Public Schools with its six high schools, six middle schools, and thirty-four elementary schools. Public charter, private, and parochial schools offer more choices of study. Higher education in Spokane is served by the Community Colleges of Spokane system and two private universities, Gonzaga University and Whitworth University as well as various trade and technical schools. The University District in Downtown Spokane is also host to branch locations of regional universities such as Washington State University Spokane and its medical school, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

Gritman Medical Center is a critical access, not-for-profit hospital in the western United States, located in Moscow, Idaho. Established in 127 years ago in 1897, the hospital is named after Dr. Charles L. Gritman. The medical center is the largest private employer in Latah County.

The Idaho Vandals baseball team was the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho.

Tim Lappano is an American football coach, most recently the offensive coordinator for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. He has coached a variety of positions at both the collegiate and professional levels, such as coaching Brandon Pettigrew as the tight ends coach and Calvin Johnson as the wide receivers coach of the Detroit Lions through the 2013 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine</span> Medical school of Washington State University

The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is a public medical school headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 2015, it is part of Washington State University, and is the second public medical school in the state of Washington. It welcomed its inaugural class in the fall of 2017, joining the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences as one of three medical schools in the state.

Charles Alan Staben is an American academic professor who served as the 18th president of the University of Idaho from 2014 to 2020. Selected by the State Board of Education on November 18, 2013, Staben succeeded interim president Donald Burnett on March 1, 2014. He was previously provost at the University of South Dakota and the acting vice president for research at the University of Kentucky.

The 1929 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1929 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Leo Calland and were in their eighth season in the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at MacLean Field. Idaho compiled a 4–5 overall record and went 1–4 in conference games.

The 1937 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1937 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Ted Bank, and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at the new Neale Stadium, with one in Boise at Public School Field.

The 1941 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1941 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Francis Schmidt, and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1921 Idaho Vandals football team</span> American college football season

The 1921 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1921 college football season. Idaho was led by second-year head coach Thomas Kelley in their last season as an independent before joining the Pacific Coast Conference. The Vandals had two home games in Moscow, one on campus at MacLean Field and another at the fairgrounds; they also played one in Boise at Public School Field.

The 1917 Idaho football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1917 college football season. Idaho was led by second-year head coach Wilfred C. Bleamaster and played as an independent; they joined the Pacific Coast Conference five years later in 1922. Idaho had two home games in Moscow on campus at MacLean Field, with none in Boise.

The 1914 Idaho football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1914 college football season. Idaho was led by tenth-year head coach John G. Griffith. The first three games were at home in Moscow, with the opener at the fairgrounds, and two on campus at the new MacLean Field.

References

  1. 1 2 Ramsey, Paul G.; Coombs, John B.; Hunt, D. Daniel; Marshall, Susan G.; Wenrich, Marjorie D. (August 2001). "From Concept to Culture: The WWAMI Program at the University of Washington School of Medicine". Academic Medicine. 76 (8): 765–775. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200108000-00006 . PMID   11500276.
  2. 1 2 Norris, Tom E.; Coombs, John B.; House, Peter; Moore, Sylvia; Wenrich, Marjorie D.; Ramsey, Paul G. (October 2006). "Regional Solutions to the Physician Workforce Shortage: The WWAMI Experience" (PDF). Academic Medicine. 81 (10): 857–862. doi: 10.1097/01.acm.0000238105.96684.2f . PMID   16985340.
  3. ↑ "Wyoming plans to join WAMI program". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. Associated Press. March 21, 1996. p. 6A.
  4. ↑ "Wyoming legislators leary about joining WAMI medical program". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. Associated Press. July 24, 1995. p. 5A.
  5. 1 2 "WWAMI: Idaho's Medical School". State Impact Idaho. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Saunders Ritter, Emilie (2013-01-07). "Gov. Otter Advocates For Expanding Idaho's Medical Education Opportunities". State Impact. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Dennison, Mike (2013-01-02). "Health issues, expansion of Medicaid sure to spark partisan battle". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  8. ↑ Voelker, Rebecca (23 July 2003). "Medical Students Reach Out to Rural Communities in "WWAMI Land"". JAMA. 290 (4): 452–3. doi:10.1001/jama.290.4.452. PMID   12876078.
  9. ↑ "About WWAMI - Gonzaga University". www.gonzaga.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
  10. ↑ Malott, Samantha (April 17, 2015). "Big changes in the works for WWAMI". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ Long, Katherine (August 22, 2015). "Early medical-school training will shift to Spokane". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.