BOISE - Not only does Idaho rank 49th in the nation for its number of doctors per capita, many of the states current doctors are expected to retire in the next few years, and the state, which has no medical school, is lagging on training new ones. Knowing that it can take up to 11 years after high school to produce a physician, Idaho really has some challenges ahead as these physicians start retiring, Dr. Mary Barinaga warned state lawmakers on Tuesday. That includes four years of college, four years of medical school, and three to seven years of residency

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BOISE - Not only does Idaho rank 49th in the nation for its number of doctors per capita, many of the states current doctors are expected to retire in the next few years, and the state, which has no medical school, is lagging on training new ones.

Knowing that it can take up to 11 years after high school to produce a physician, Idaho really has some challenges ahead as these physicians start retiring, Dr. Mary Barinaga warned state lawmakers on Tuesday. That includes four years of college, four years of medical school, and three to seven years of residency and fellowship.

A new family medical residency training program in Coeur dAlene is one step to try to help, joining other residency programs around the state; it would train six students next year. Lawmakers also are debating adding more medical school seats through a cooperative program that sends Idaho med students to the University of Washington, though Gov. Butch Otters proposed budget for next year doesnt fund more seats.

Dr. Dick McLandress, program director for the new Kootenai Family Medicine Residency in Coeur dAlene, said the need is particularly acute for primary-care doctors, with 50 percent expected to retire within the next five to seven years. In North Idaho, definitely were in the 50 percent zone, he said. That really matters to all of our communities.

Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, a family physician himself, agreed. I know a lot of em, and theyre my age and older, said Schmidt, 59.

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Idaho's doctor shortage threatens to worsen - Tue, 21 Jan 2014 PST