Washington State University medical school students will soon have the option to gain valuable medical experience just a few short hours from the Spokane campus.

Samaritan Healthcare and the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine have partnered to develop a program to support the education of medical students. The partnership also includes exploration of interprofessional education with WSU’s College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and other programs.

The collaboration aligns WSU’s efforts to extend knowledge though innovative educational programs with Samaritan’s desire to build partnerships that will improve health education throughout the region and develop the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to advance our partnership with the WSU College of Medicine,” said Theresa Sullivan, CEO of Samaritan Healthcare. “Their commitment to training physicians and medical professionals towards a rural track is vital to the development of our future workforce.”

Both the WSU College of Medicine and Samaritan Healthcare are committed to the development of an undergraduate medical education program, the education of future generations of healthcare professionals and their career development, and the potential future expansion of a residency program based in Moses Lake.

“The College of Medicine was established to create healthcare leaders that our rural communities need now,” Dr. James M. Record, Interim Dean for the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. “This partnership with Samaritan exemplifies our dedication to investing in central Washington communities to expand both healthcare education and healthcare access to its residents.”

Although Samaritan has hosted medical, nursing and pharmacy students in the past, this new undergraduate medical education program will expand to host up to four students annually. The program is set to kick-off in summer 2023.

“I’m excited to be able to train students from small communities who fully intend to live and work in rural communities in the future,” said Samaritan’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Andrea Carter. “Being a physician in a small community has its challenges, but it’s incredibly rewarding and we are excited to show them it can be done.”