WSU Med School Makes Big Moves In Its Inaugural Year
WSU Med School Receives Overwhelming Support in State Legislature
In two unanimous votes of confidence, the State House of Representatives and the State Senate BOTH voted to add the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine to the Family Medicine Residency network. WSU is very close to being a third co-chair of the network alongside the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. Impressively, the vote on House Bill 2443 passed 98-0 and the vote on the companion Senate Bill 6093 was approved 47-0. We will update you on continuing progress of this WSU legislative priority!
These two impressive votes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great news coming from the WSU Spokane campus. WSU’s groundbreaking new addition to advancing medical education in the state of Washington, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, is midway through its first year of operation. The college is already creating a strong foothold in the community, both at WSU and among its peers. Despite its relatively short time in existence, this school, helmed by Dr. John Tomkowiak, has made it clear that it’s on the path for success.
Already this year, the school has made impressive announcements, including the addition of two new high-level programs, which will be available to students starting in the fall of 2018. The Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology will offer both master’s and doctoral programs. Initially, these programs will be intimate in scale—just five students will be accepted into each—but ultimately, the school plans to triple that number by 2023.
These new programs were created with the future in mind; the increased demand for dietary and nutrition professionals means that students attaining these degrees will be more hireable and have more options upon completion.
WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Has Eyes on the Future
The college of medicine is also expanding its reach into the surrounding communities. In addition to its clinical partnership program, which places future medical professionals directly into local hospitals and healthcare clinics across the state of Washington, it has also created new opportunities for research, development, and innovation.
In April, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will host a hackathon—a three-day, intensive tech sprint with the ultimate end goal of solving rural and underserved health care issues. The hackathon will invite “college students, patients, caregivers, health care professionals, faculty members, computer programmers, software developers and business leaders,” according to the school.
“This event…challenges our medical students to become innovators and stewards of healthcare technology,” said the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Andrew Richards, who serves as college technology incubator officer. Richards called the hackathon “an opportunity to connect problem solvers from across the region to solve some of our most difficult health care challenges.”
YOU Are Part of The Solution
The new medical school has a diverse student body composed of Washingtonians who might not have had the opportunity to attend medical school in the state of Washington without its launch in 2017. The ESFCOM is going to help forge new paths for healthcare professionals and and unprecedented research, both at home and nationally.
This school does so many things for so many people—but it can’t do it without you lending your voice and letting your state lawmakers know what you value.
WSU alumni are some of the most powerful advocates when it comes to supporting the future of the medical school and WSU as a whole. When Cougs speak up, decision-makers listen. And that includes our lawmakers in Olympia.
If our elected officials don’t prioritize WSU in the budget and don’t look for new ways to grow the impact of the school regionally, it may not be able to serve all of the prospective medical students and community members who need doctors and quality healthcare, particularly in medically underserved areas of the state.
Reach out to your lawmakers and let them know that you’re behind them, in all of your crimson glory! Cheer on the success of WSU, of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and a brand new generation of proud Cougs who are going to change the world. Join WSU Impact today to add your name to the list and send a quick note to the your three state lawmakers.
They need to hear from you. We make it easy!