Idaho Legislature: Ask Legislators to VOTE NO on H0368 - Medical education (posted 03/07/25, revised 03/23/25)

• Bill: legislature.idaho.gov/s…

• Contact Legislators: We’re no longer recommending Email Idaho. Please see tinyurl.com/2r4uuj32

(Check the linked page or use My Bill Tracker for the bill’s current status.)

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Idaho does not have its own state-run medical school, though it does have independent Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM). College of Western Idaho (CWI) offers related courses, but isn’t a medical school.

H0368 expands state funded medical education that should be funded by scholarships or medical students themselves. H0368 benefits only small number of people, and does not necessarily solve “doctor shortages.”

Details:

Amendment:

• Changes "shall" to "may" regarding decreasing seats by 10 starting in 2027-28.

• Establishes a working group to establish a medical education plan supporting both allopathic and osteopathic education. [This is good]

H0368 adds medical education seats other than University of Washington's WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) medical education program:

• Increases reserved slots per incoming class by 10 each year for non-WWAMI Idaho medical education, until incoming class size reaches 30.

• Medical education coursework and majority of clinical placements must be located in Idaho for all but 20 of the non-WWAMI students per incoming class. (Does this mean only up to 10 seats must be located in Idaho? Will ICOM and CWI qualify as Idaho locations?)

• Starting in 2027-2028 academic year, reserved slots for Idaho medical education students in WWAMI decrease by at least 10 students.

• State board of education working group must deliver to Governor and Legislature by Jan 2, 2026, a medical education plan to:

  • Address how the plan will reduce physician shortage in Idaho in conjunction with graduate medical education;

  • Ensure quality of medical education programs for Idaho students;

  • Maximize amount of medical education funds spent in Idaho;

  • Maximize number of clinical medical education placements located in Idaho;

  • Maximize number of medical residency placements in Idaho;

  • Minimize conflicts with medical education program partners; and

  • Minimize conflicts in delivering medical education coursework and clinical medical education placements to students enrolled in different medical education programs.

Shouldn’t this working group PRECEDE bill passage, rather than FOLLOW it?

Fiscal:

• In FY27, estimated General Fund cost: $512,400 to increase number of non-WWAMI medical education program support by 10 seats.

• In FY28, non-WWAMI medical education program seats increase by 10 and WWAMI seats may decrease by 10.

• Future changes pursuant to appropriation or further legislation.

Note:

H0368 seems to address justifiable disappointment in the WWAMI program. But why is Idaho funding any medical education through tax dollars?

References:

• WWAMI: tinyurl.com/3u75ae7x

• ICOM: tinyurl.com/yx6ks4ub

• CWI: