Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Educating medical students for Alaska.

R Fortuine1, M J Dimino

  • 1Biomedical Program, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA.

International Journal of Circumpolar Health
|March 27, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Alaska participates in the WAMI program to train medical students at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSM), focusing on rural health needs and encouraging practice in Alaska.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

C. Earl Albrecht and the struggle against tuberculosis in Alaska.

International journal of circumpolar health·1999
Same author

Pipe-smoking along the Yukon (1867).

Alaska medicine·1997
Same author

Glimpses of Alaskan medical history. An unexpected outcome (1865-67).

Alaska medicine·1997
Same author

Traditional remedies of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (1842-1844).

Alaska medicine·1996
Same author

Historical notes on the introduction of tobacco into Alaska.

Alaska medicine·1996
Same author

A visit to the hot springs near Sitka (1842).

Alaska medicine·1995

Area of Science:

  • Medical Education
  • Rural Health
  • Public Health Policy

Background:

  • Alaska lacks a state medical school, necessitating participation in the WAMI (Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) program.
  • The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSM) accepts Alaskan students, with the first year at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).
  • UWSM facilitates clinical training for third and fourth-year students within Alaska to address state-specific healthcare demands.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To enhance medical education for students serving Alaska's unique healthcare landscape.
  • To increase the number of UWSM graduates practicing medicine in Alaska, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
  • To tailor the curriculum to address Alaska's specific health issues and rural healthcare delivery systems.

Main Methods:

  • Prioritizing Alaskan students with strong academic/personal records and intent to practice in-state.
  • Integrating Alaska-specific health problems, cross-cultural issues, and rural healthcare delivery into the first-year curriculum.
  • Implementing preceptorships with primary care physicians and at the Alaska Native Medical Center, plus optional rural site rotations.

Main Results:

  • Over seven years, 30% of accepted students were from rural communities and 10% were Alaska Natives.
  • Curriculum includes dedicated sessions on Alaska health, cross-cultural topics, and rural healthcare systems.
  • Development of an Alaska track for third-year clerkships and the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (R/UOP) for rural rotations.

Conclusions:

  • Educational strategies aim to inform UWSM students about Alaska's health needs and systems.
  • Program initiatives are designed to encourage UWSM graduates, especially Alaskans, to practice within the state.
  • The WAMI agreement and tailored curriculum support Alaska's goal of improving healthcare access and outcomes.

Related Experiment Videos