How can Idaho prepare more doctors to serve its growing communities and help them build careers close to home? In this episode of The Bold Path Podcast, Idaho State University President Robert Wagner talks with Dr. Tracy Farnsworth, president and CEO of the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), about the role of medical education in strengthening Idaho’s healthcare workforce.
Continuing season two’s exploration of ISU’s Contract for Idaho, Wagner and Farnsworth examine the public-private partnership between ISU and ICOM, from its founding a decade ago to opportunities for deeper collaboration. They discuss pathways that can shorten the journey from undergraduate study to medical school, joint degree programs, shared research, and the importance of training future physicians alongside other health professionals.
Farnsworth also explains the similarities and differences between osteopathic and allopathic medicine, the need for primary care physicians in rural communities, and the value of a “grow your own” approach to medical education. The conversation closes with a look at anticipated changes in ICOM’s ownership and a shared vision for expanding the partnership’s impact on Idaho’s future.
