The University of Washington Wami Program: 25 Years of Experience With Manpower Shortages in Rural Areas

The University of Washington is the only United States medical school serving the health care education needs of Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WAMI) and has evolved a unique set of partnerships to address this predominantly rural region of the United States. Three specific aspects of this program are relevant to Australia's rural health needs: (i) ‘pipeline’ efforts that groom rural and minority students long before medical school in order to keep them in the potential applicant pool; (ii) a decentralized medical school curriculum that provides repetitive training opportunities in rural and community‐based settings; and (Hi) special residency rotations, physician assistant programs and rural hospital support all of which train and maintain health care providers in rural remote settings.