Engaging local mentors and hosts
Communities across the state are a key aspect of medical education at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. These clinical partner organizations provide clinical rotations for medical students at regional sites, including Vancouver, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Everett. The students then serve their third and fourth years of medical school in clinical clerkships in these communities. Partner physicians serve as mentors to WSU medical students and may participate in the university’s statewide research network.
Medical students will have three week-long clinical sessions during their first two years. During these one-week periods, students will live with local host families who volunteer to provide food and lodging.
Addressing the physician shortage
By using facilities across the state to help train future physicians, the community-based model of medicine can increase the likelihood that the physicians-in-training will remain there to practice medicine. Instead of building its own academic health center or establishing its own clinics, WSU has collaborative partnerships with existing clinical networks.
There are a growing number of community clinical partners in Washington. The following support medical students at WSU Vancouver:
- Longview PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center
- Vancouver PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center
- The Vancouver Clinic
- Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center
The community-based model has been successful in many other states, including California, Florida and Michigan. And it is ideally suited to help solve Washington state’s need for more doctors.
Partner with us
Learn more about becoming a clinical affiliate of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Community hosts
How anyone can help
The community helps support Washington’s future medical workforce by hosting medical students during one or more of the six clinical intersession weeks.
Homestay Hosts will be assigned a student and will provide housing for them during each intersession week. In addition, they will be asked to plan activities or events during the intersession periods to introduce their student to members of the community. Homestay Hosts will be invited to participate in the College of Medicine Community Night to be held on Wednesday during every intersession week.
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is no longer accepting applications for the 2017-2019 period. To be notified of the next opportunity to apply, contact our academic coordinator for science, van.prehealth@wsu.edu.