At WSU Spokane, we are creating a robust health sciences center with a new culture of interprofessional health care education, research and practice. 

• The health science center at the Riverpoint Campus is growing to meet the demand for more doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals. Washington imports 80% of its doctors from other states. Nursing faces critical shortages both in the profession and in faculty to teach the next generation of nurses. The need for skilled pharmacists continues to grow as medication regimes become more complex. See our list of academic programs in the health sciences.

• College students from three universities learn to work together in expert teams so we all get the best possible treatment.
• Our leading scientists focus on applying discoveries in basic science for new therapeutic approaches that make a measurable difference in the lives of individuals so we’re all healthier. WSU researchers in neuroscience, human behavior, sleep and performance, childhood health, addictions/substance abuse and other sciences bring in around $10 million/year to the Inland Northwest economy.
• Our K-12 programs inspire and prepare our children to see a future in health care as an attainable dream.
• And we reach out to rural and vulnerable populations to help create a healthier future for all.

The health sciences at Riverpoint create a ripple effect in health care and biomedical business growth, with an economic impact at full maturity of more than $2 billion per year statewide and more than 13,000 jobs. This all translates into healthier people, healthier communities, and a healthier economy.

News updates

FAQ on Biomedical/Health Sciences Building & Medical Education/Research Expansion

Q: We read in the paper recently that the Washington Legislature is giving WSU $35 million for a building that will house a new medical school. Is this true?

A: Partially. Yes, the legislature did set aside $35 million in the 2011 state capital budget for a new biomedical building on the downtown Riverpoint campus. It will house University of Washington medical students who are taught by WSU and UW faculty. It will also house a consolidated WSU College of Pharmacy, which is now split between Pullman and Spokane. The new building will also have research space for health sciences faculty members. The $35 million is about half of what’s needed to finish the first phase of the building. WSU and Spokane community leaders will go back to the legislature in 2012 and ask for the rest of the funding.

Q: So that’s where the new medical school will be?

A: Yes and no. Medical students will study there, but WSU is not opening a new medical school. The Spokane campus is a branch of the UW School of Medicine. First-year medical students have attended class here since the fall of 2008. Spokane hospitals and clinics have provided clinical opportunities for third and fourth-year UW medical school students (since the early 1970s) and residency programs for newly-graduated doctors.

Q: Spokane has first, third and fourth-year medical students. Where are the second-year students?

A: They study in Seattle. But the legislature also allocated money that allows WSU to begin planning to teach second-year students as early as the fall of 2013. That means Spokane would offer a full four years of medical education, plus residencies. UW medical school administrators are studying how to adapt the second-year curriculum so it can be taught outside of Seattle.

Q: How many medical students are there in Spokane?

A: This fall, WSU is expecting 20 first-year students to come to Spokane, the same number that has studied here the past three years. There will also be 21 third and fourth-year students who will do most or all of their clinical rotations in local hospitals and doctors' offices and another 10-15 who will do at least one rotation here. Ultimately, the university believes it can handle 100 or 120 in each class, based on a feasibility study done by UW, WSU and their medical partners. But the legislature hasn’t authorized that yet.

Q: You say the new building will also house the consolidated College of Pharmacy. What will that mean?

A: It means another 200 pharmacy students in Spokane, as well as faculty and staff now based in Pullman. Right now, third and fourth-year pharmacy students do their class and clinical work here. The consolidation means first and second-year students will be based here too.

Q: So this is more than just a medical school?

A:  Yes. Riverpoint is already well-established as WSU’s official Health Sciences campus. The WSU College of Nursing has its own building and graduates more than 400 students each year. WSU also has its Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Speech and Hearing Sciences and Health Policy and Administration programs on campus. In addition, Eastern Washington University offers several health sciences programs, from the first year of dental school (in partnership with UW) and dental hygiene to occupational and physical therapy. UW also has some  physician assistant students in Spokane.

Q: Sounds like there’s a lot going on in the health sciences at Riverpoint.

A: Yes and there’s plenty of growth planned. That’s why the consultant Tripp Umbach projects that the statewide annual economic impact of Spokane’s health sciences campus could reach $2.1 billion dollars at full maturity. That includes all of the economic activity generated by students, teachers, staff and researchers based at Riverpoint, in addition to the increased clinical connections between the campus and the regional medical community.

Q: So the campus will be a powerful economic generator for Spokane?

A: It already is, but yes, there will be more benefits for the whole Inland Northwest and state of Washington. Beyond the dollar signs, there’s another important thing going on campus: that’s the increased emphasis on interprofessional education. It means students of different health disciplines are working together, just as they’ll work together in health settings after they graduate. There are already examples of that on campus and administrators are looking for other ways to bring students together.