In an effort to alleviate Idaho’s doctor shortage, the Idaho Board of Education is asking state lawmakers to approve money to pay for five additional students to attend the University of Washington’s medical school in Seattle. Idaho, like Alaska, Montana and Wyoming, does not have its own medical school. Instead, the four states rely on a program known as WWAMI. The program (which sounds like “whammy”) is based at the University of Washington School of Medicine. A certain number of students from each of the four states attend, paying in-state tuition instead of the more expensive out-of-state price. Each participating state helps pay the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.  One state-sponsored medical student in the WWAMI program costs about $50,000 per year.  Today, Idaho has a total of 80 seats, 20 per year/Emilie Ritter Saunders, StateImpact. More here.

Question: Do you know someone who used WWAMI funding to become a physician?