Meeting the healthcare needs of patients across Washington
The state of Washington faces a growing shortage of primary care physicians, especially in rural and under-served areas. To better address this need, the University of Washington and Gonzaga University created the Health Partnership to educate and retain physicians and improve the health and vitality of communities throughout the region.
Students studying at the UW School of Medicine in Spokane complete their first 18 months of medical school – called the Foundations Phase – during courses in the Schoenberg Center on the Gonzaga campus, as well in the community. The Foundations Phase integrates basic science and clinical education, as well as rural training early in the curriculum and is taught by clinical skills instructors and foundations guides. Aspiring physician assistants in the UW’s MEDEX Northwest program in Spokane also take courses on Gonzaga’s campus.
The two universities are also sharing the insights of leading physicians with practitioners and the public through the Next Generation Medicine lecture series, including lectures on dogs and the science of human aging, the opioid epidemic and the potential for developing vaccines against cancer.
Together, the UW and Gonzaga are striving to expand medical education, to encourage more health professionals to learn and work in the region, and to improve the health and well-being of people across Washington and beyond.
A new health sciences center in Spokane
Spokane has a new center for medical education, health sciences and innovation, with the the opening of an 80,000-square-foot building at 840 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. McKinstry completed construction in 2022 and the facility serves as the home for the UW School of Medicine – Gonzaga University Health Partnership.
Committed to caring for patients
The UW School of Medicine – Gonzaga University Health Partnership – together with more than 500 clinical partners throughout eastern Washington – is educating educate high-quality healthcare providers to serve patients throughout our region and carry forward our legacies of graduating exceptional, community-focused students. Read more about the partnership’s progress in the 2022 Report to the Community.
Inspired to serve
Our medical students come from a range of backgrounds, but all of them share a passion for improving the health and well-being of their patients and communities.
News Center
Read coverage of the UW School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Health Partnership, including stories about medical students, faculty and outreach to the community.