Pursuing a career in medicine can be hard for the residents of certain states of the U.S. Many medical schools prefer to admit students that live in the state where they are located. This means that if you live in a state without a medical school, you’ll have to apply to private universities outside of your state, which are more expensive, and you’ll also have to pay for accommodation. This was the situation that prospective students faced in Idaho until 2018 when the first medical school in Idaho opened.
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) was inaugurated in 2018, as the first medical school in Idaho. This is a huge achievement for the state as the medical field is going through rough times there. There’s a shortage of physicians, and Idaho is positioned in 49th place regarding the number of physicians per capita in the U.S.
ICOM grants Doctor of Osteopathic (D.O.) degrees. Along with those that have M.D. degrees, these are the two types of physicians that can be licensed to practice medicine, prescribe medication, and perform surgeries in the U.S. The difference between them is the approach. Physicians with D.O. degrees received holistic training that focuses on preventing diseases.
So, let’s take a closer look at this new medical school!
Top Medical School in Idaho
1. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)
Located in Meridian, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) received its first group of students in 2018.
The D.O. four-year program is divided into two phases. During the first two years, students will take lectures to learn foundational concepts, and will go through laboratory and clinical experiences in small groups.
The last two years consist of clinical training performed in affiliated centers. ICOM has 9 core affiliated centers and almost 30 affiliated centers.
Technology is a key aspect of the education of students. The second floor of the school’s building is for clinical simulations. It has clinical simulation rooms, patient exam rooms, and control rooms, all equipped with cameras and microphones. This way, students can be interactively evaluated because everything is recorded.
It has low-fidelity and high-fidelity human simulators, which can mimic the symptoms of real patients and communicate with the students. They also have models of parts of the body, called “task trainers”, where students can practice specific procedures. ICOM also has modern laboratories with cutting-edge technology.
Although it is a new medical school, admissions can be highly competitive as it is the only medical school in Idaho. The class of 2018 was 162 students. It had an average MCAT score of 503 and an average GPA of 3.45. The application has to be done online through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS).
As in other medical schools, here you’ll have to submit recommendation letters, have done required premedical coursework, and take the MCAT. ICOM doesn’t accept international or transfer students. Visit their Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Website to learn much more about ICOM!
If after considering osteopathic medicine you would still like to go for an M.D. degree, Idaho partnered with the medical school of the University of Washington to offer in-state tuition prices to Idaho residents.
We hope that the article on medical school in Idaho was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students!
