The WWAMI program (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) has been a vital pathway for medical education and healthcare in our state. For over four decades, it has provided Idaho residents with the opportunity to attend medical school without having to leave the state, ensuring we have more homegrown doctors to meet the needs of our communities.
However, recent efforts to reduce funding and support for the WWAMI program threaten the future of medical education in Idaho. These cuts could limit the number of medical students we train locally, undermining the long-term healthcare infrastructure of our state. We must stand together to protect the WWAMI program and ensure that Idaho continues to train and retain its own healthcare professionals.
Now more than ever, it's important for Idahoans to voice their support for the WWAMI program and make it clear that we won’t stand by as efforts to reduce it put our healthcare system at risk. Take action today and make your voice heard!
Send an email to all members of the House of Representatives registering your opposition to H368, the attempt to decrease the number of students who can participate in the WWAMI partnership between the University of Washington and University of Idaho.
Prepare to testify one of the four ways if this bill passes the House and heads to the Senate Education Committee: testify remotely via Zoom, in-person before the committee, by clicking the "oppose" button without testimony, or by providing written testimony only.
Talking points about H368 include:
- The bulk of H368 describes Idaho's need for additional physicians across the state and sets out a plan to get there. The section that removes 10 WWAMI seats for Idaho students makes absolutely no sense and completely contradicts the goals of the rest of the bill.
- No evidence has been provided to justify removal of 10 seats for Idaho students. The chief sponsor has said he just doesn't like the program. Is diluting a world-class partnership based on a false claim that students were being trained to perform abortions in Idaho worth the high cost?
- Idaho doctors who provide clinical training for WWAMI students who have said they wish to continue working with WWAMI if Idaho students aren't allowed in their clinics. They will supervise WWAMI students from other states (who are more likely to leave the state).
Let’s ensure that future generations of Idaho doctors have the opportunity to learn, grow, and serve right here at home.
