Keith Watson

Earlier this month, Washington State University President Elson Floyd announced plans to explore a medical school on WSUs Spokane campus, which would be the states second publicly funded medical school.

And for local Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences president, Dr. Keith Watson, WSUs effort is welcome.

We need all hands on deck to meet this coming health care shortage, Watson said Wednesday in a telephone interview.

The University of Washington, however, does not support a second state-funded medical school because officials say they doubt the states financial ability to support two institutions. In an Associated Press story this week, UW officials said it would be more cost-effective to expand the UWs enrollment.

But Watson said he is concerned that UWs capacity is inadequate to meet current and growing needs for more doctors.

We take issues with the model that (the University of Washington) has used; its great, but its not sufficient, he said.

The UW had been the only medical school in the state until PNWU was founded as a private, nonprofit institution in 2005. Theres also a naturopathic medical school in Kirkland, Bastyr University, thats been around since 1978. In Washington state, naturopaths are approved to be primary care physicians; thats not always true elsewhere.

The UW is an allopathic school and PNWU is osteopathic; osteopathic medicine has a different philosophy, with a greater emphasis on prevention and on looking at the patient as a whole person. Historically, the two were much more distinct, but now the training is almost identical and osteopaths and allopaths practice alongside one another.

Floyd said his reasoning is largely based on the upcoming doctor shortage in the country, which is projected to be severe: With the nations baby boomer docs close to retirement, along with an increased demand for health care, particularly among a growing aging population, the U.S. will face a shortage of about 91,500 doctors by 2020, according to estimates from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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PNWU president welcomes possible medical school at WSU Spokane