Idaho WWAMI is a partnership between the nationally-ranked University of Washington School of Medicine and Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI). Since 1972, the University of Idaho has partnered with the UW School of Medicine to help educate and provide training for Idaho’s future physicians.

Idaho WWAMI students - all considered Idaho residents - begin their training at the University of Idaho, where they will complete the first 18 months of curriculum, also known as the Foundations Phase. Students then move into the Clinical Phase, where they participate in required clinical experiences. These experiences can be based primarily out of Idaho, are offered in urban and/or rural settings, and/or across the WWAMI region, depending on the student's interests.

The curriculum taught at each WWAMI site, is a joint product of the UW School of Medicine. While each site has its own instructors and may offering specific electives, (such as wilderness medicine offered to Idaho students), all WWAMI students learn the same core curriculum at the same time.

Idaho WWAMI has five primary goals for the State of Idaho:

• Provide publicly supported medical education
• Increase the number of primary care physicians 
• Provide community-based medical education
• Expand graduate medical education (residency training) and continuing medical education
• Provide all of this in a cost-effective manner

Idaho WWAMI has an excellent rate of return: 51% of our graduates choose to practice in Idaho — well above the national average of 39%.