Officials Request More Medical School Seats for Idaho

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Regional medical school administrators are requesting more money to expand the number of seats for Idaho in a regional program that educates medical students.

Mary Barinaga, an assistant dean with the University of Washington, says they need an additional $278,900 to add five additional Idaho seats in WWAMI — the partnership between Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho and the University of Washington. The request would fulfill a 2009 plan to increase the number of Idaho students to 40 per class.

Barinaga told the Joint Finance and Appropriations budget committee Wednesday that Idaho is ranked 49th in the nation in the number of doctors per 100,000 people. It's also ranks low in primary care physicians.