In Our View: Heal Medical School Rift

If nothing else, the playground fight between the University of Washington and Washington State University over who will train doctors for the state has brought much-needed attention to a pressing problem. The issue, in short, is that Washington requires more physicians, particularly in rural areas.

Last year, WSU officials announced their intention to explore the establishment of a medical school. The need is difficult to argue, as a study commissioned by the university found that 17 of the state’s 39 counties have fewer than 10 doctors per 10,000 residents, compared with the national average of 27 doctors for that amount of population. In King County, the ratio is 40 physicians per 10,000 people. The University of Washington operates the only public medical school in the state (Oregon also has one — Oregon Health & Science University in Portland), making this the most populous state with fewer than two medical schools. The location of Washington’s medical school and the lure of the Puget Sound region leads to most doctors remaining in that area and contributes to the physician shortage elsewhere.

The concern is that the problem will only intensify. With an aging population that will require more medical care, and with an aging roster of physicians, and with more people gaining access to health insurance, the need for doctors in all parts of the state is bound to rapidly increase. State and university officials must begin preparing for such an eventuality, which helped trigger WSU’s proposal for building a new medical school. And with that, UW officials acted as though the Cougars had just stolen the Apple Cup trophy.

University of Washington representatives have said that WSU’s plans have untethered the partnership they forged as part of WWAMI (named for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho), which trains doctors for rural areas and for those states that do not have medical schools. While administrators from Washington State say that is not the case, UW is pursuing a partnership with Gonzaga University to continue the WWAMI program. “WSU maintained pursuit of its school was its priority,” Washington spokeswoman Genesee Adkins told the Legislature. “Maintaining our program is our priority.”

This is misguided — on both counts. The priority must be to best serve the state’s citizens by providing effective medical training and by recognizing and addressing needs such as doctor shortages in some areas. While the proprietary fight over funding and prestige is understandable, it really is of little concern to the state’s residents when they seek medical care or need to make an appointment. As state Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, told officials from both schools during a legislative committee hearing: “Work a little closer and try to work some of this out. Work this out to the benefit of citizens that we all serve.”

The Legislature, for its part, should overturn an antiquated 1917 law that gives the University of Washington the exclusive right to operate a medical school in the state. UW officials, for their part, should continue to include WSU as a valued partner in the WWAMI program. And then, both schools should figure out the best way to increase medical training in the state to serve both rural areas and a growing urban population. The University of Washington School of Medicine currently can admit 120 students a year, while states of similar size admit upwards of 400. That is a shortcoming that goes beyond the playground and calls for cooperation.