OPINION: Idaho takes vital step toward addressing doctor shortage by expanding medical education

As a family medicine physician in Boise and president and CEO of Full Circle Health, I have dedicated much of my career to enhancing medical education and addressing Idaho’s physician shortage.

Serving as the Graduate Medical Education coordinator for the state, I authored Idaho’s 10-Year Graduate Medical Education plan to build a robust Graduate Medical Education system of residency programs throughout Idaho.  

Idaho faces a critical need for more medical doctors (MD’s and DO’s), especially in rural and underserved areas. House Bill 368, as amended, is a vital step toward addressing this shortage by expanding medical education opportunities within Idaho. The bill increases the number of medical school positions and establishes a working group to develop a comprehensive plan for Undergraduate Medical Education, or medical school training, in Idaho.

Comprehensive medical education includes both Undergraduate Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education. Think of it as a pipeline.

Undergraduate Medical Education is the front end of the pipeline which lays the foundation — classroom learning and early clinical training. Graduate Medical Education serves as the backend of the pipeline and provides the advanced, hands-on clinical and hospital experience through residency programs, where medical school graduates train in the specialty of their choosing.

Residency training is critical, as physicians must graduate from a residency program in order to become licensed practicing physicians. Data consistently shows physicians are more likely to stay and practice in the state where they complete their training. But to truly build a pipeline, Idaho must educate more doctors who not only stay here, but also open their doors to medical students for clinical rotations and their training in Idaho.

Investing in both Undergraduate Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education is essential to creating a full, self-sustaining medical education ecosystem and ensuring Idaho has the health care workforce it needs for the future. By supporting House Bill 368, we can strengthen our medical education infrastructure, attract and retain talented physicians, and ultimately improve health care access for all Idahoans.