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."

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

  • Washington/Seattle: 100
  • Washington/Spokane: 60
  • Wyoming: 20
  • Alaska: 25
  • Montana: 30
  • Idaho: 40

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ramsey, MD, Paul G.; Coombs, John B. MD; Hunt, D. Daniel MD; Marshall, Susan G. MD; Wenrich, Marjorie D. MPH (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., MD; Coombs, John B., MD; House, Peter, MHA; Moore, Sylvia, PhD, RD; Wenrich, Marjorie D., MPH; Ramsey, Paul G., MD (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.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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.
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