UI partnering with Utah on medical training

Feb. 13, 2026 Updated Fri., Feb. 13, 2026 at 7:47 p.m.

By Anthony Kuipers Moscow-Pullman Daily News

The University of Idaho wants to train more in-state physicians in collaboration with the University of Utah.

UI announced Wednesday it is collaborating with Utah’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine to create a regionally based undergraduate medical education program in Idaho’s Treasure Valley.

This new program will complement the Idaho WWAMI program, which allows students to complete their undergraduate medical education in Moscow in partnership with the University of Washington.

The goal is to increase the number of physicians practicing in Idaho. UI is also complying with House Bill 368 which passed to fund the expansion of medical education in the state. The Daily News reported in 2025 Idaho ranked last in physicians per capita.

“The University of Idaho is proud to lead this collaborative effort to grow Idaho’s physician workforce,” UI President Scott Green said in a statement. “By working together, we can ensure medical education remains accessible and responsive to Idaho’s communities, including rural and underserved areas.”

The UI will have equal representation with Utah on a joint steering committee responsible for admissions processes, curriculum development, student support, clinical training, faculty recruitment and overall program governance.

Students in the program would have to sign a “Return to Practice” agreement committing to at least four years of medical practice in Idaho following residency or repaying the state’s investment.

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UI partnering with Utah on medical training

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