Idaho to get medical school - East Idaho News
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Idaho to get medical school

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BOISE – Idaho will soon have a four-year medical school.

The first such school in the Gem State will be at Idaho State University’s Meridian Health Science Center and will be called the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), according to an announcement from the governor’s office on Thursday, Feb. 25.

The American Association of Medical Colleges ranked Idaho 49th of states with active physicians per capita.

“This is a golden opportunity for us to train more healthcare professionals to meet our statewide needs while also attracting more Idaho students into the growing healthcare field,” said Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. “It’s a once-in-a-generation chance for Idaho to address both our desire for better career opportunities for Idaho students and our need for more physicians.”

ICOM will be privately funded and independently operated, though ISU will be represented on its board of trustees by ISU President Arthur C. Vailas. ICOM will lease land at the Meridian Health Science Center and build an 80,000-square-foot building.

Classes are scheduled to begin in August 2018.

“We began this regional medical school initiative over a year ago and have already established clinical affiliations with outstanding health systems in Montana, South Dakota and here in Idaho,” said Dr. Robert Hasty, the college’s founding dean and chief academic officer.

For more information on ICOM and how it will be funded, click here.

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