Idaho State University matches all health professions residency positions

POCATELLO – Idaho State University has recruited new residents for a variety of heath care programs, including for the family medicine, pharmacotherapy, psychology and psychiatry programs. 

Those new residents will now begin the first of several years serving and training in Idaho.

The Family Medicine Residency Program, which began in 1994, accepts the same number of residents each year to replace the graduating residents in a three-year cycle. 

“We interview upwards of 70 to 100 potential applicants every year,” said Greg Harding, residency administrator. “From that, we get our selection of residents.”

The residency program has a new rural training track located in Rexburg. Currently,  this track has successfully matched its second resident this year. This resident will train with the Family Medicine Residency in Pocatello for one year and then join the current rural training track resident next year in Rexburg. Eventually, a total of six residents will be training in Rexburg. This gives these residents an opportunity to focus on what it means to serve as a physician in a sparsely populated area.

“They see themselves working in a more rural area when they become a licensed physician,” Harding said. “All our residents get the same experiences and training, but a rural physician that chooses to work in a rural area will be practicing the full spectrum of family medicine, which can include delivering babies.” 

The residents will serve under the supervision of numerous physicians during their residency, creating well-rounded doctors. At least half of the graduating residents in this residency have stayed in Idaho, something helpful to face the shortage of doctors.

“We’re facing a shortage of doctors across the nation and in our own state,” Harding said.

Patients of the ISU Family Medicine Clinic in Pocatello will be seeing the new faces of their intern physician for the three years they are training at the clinic.

“We push for continuity of care, so for the most part our patients in the clinic will see their resident physician for the three years they’re here,” Harding said. “With all their rotations, some that include Boise and Salt Lake City, there are always physicians who are able to precept the residents with their patients.”

Harding says each group of incoming residents are talented and eager to learn, something he sees as well with the incoming group.

“It’s fun to see the excitement and the energy levels the incoming residents have,” he said. “It’s also exciting to see the third years graduate and start their life and practice after residency.” 

As well as the Family Medicine Residency securing a full program, the Pharmacotherapy Residency secured one resident for its available position and the psychology internship program matched an intern for its available position.

In addition, the newly-formed Psychiatry Residency  – working in conjunction with University of Utah - matched three residents for their three slots. This exciting venture started with the knowledge that there is a severe shortage of psychiatrists in Idaho.

The psychiatry program has been organized with the assistance of Portneuf Medical Center, the VA Clinic, HealthWest Inc., the Human Development Center, State Hospital South and private psychiatrists in Southeast Idaho. Residents in this four-year program will spend the first two years in Salt Lake City and the last two years in Southeast Idaho.

For list and biographies of the new residents, visit: www.isu.edu/healthsciences/news/2020/fmr-matches-13-for-2020/.