Idaho needs more doctors who are willing to help train the next generation of doctors — wherever these students go to medical school.

But it’s hard to find physicians who are willing to take on a mentoring role. It’s time-consuming. The patient load doesn’t change. And there isn’t any money in it.

“We’ve built a system that relies on volunteerism and altruism,” Lisa Nelson, director of graduate medical education for the Saint Alphonsus Health System, told a state panel Tuesday.

During its second meeting, an Idaho Medical Education Plan Working Group spent little time talking about the biggest issue on its plate: the state’s evolving partnerships with regional medical schools.

By Jan. 2, the group must submit its plan to Gov. Brad Little and the Legislature — addressing state-funded med

See Full Page