I'm a clinical PhD student in the program at Idaho State and I really really LOVE it. The best part about the program is that it is so student oriented -- the faculty are really focused on making sure students succeed, and the students are also extremely cooperative and work together to help each other through the program. I really feel "taken care of" in this department. The program is very aware of the requirements students need to meet for internships and they work hard to ensure that everyone will be competitive to place. At the same time, the faculty are doing some interesting research and they are very supportive of research ideas, including international research.
I guess the major negative, besides for some the location, might be the fact that there are limited TA positions. The service-learning positions there provide less financial support than the TA positions. But still, the supportiveness of the faculty is extraordinary.
Pocatello is a smaller town (about ~80,000 or so) but it's a wonderful place to live and study. There are 300 days of sunshine a year! People are extremely friendly here. You can find most of what you need, even natural and organic foods, at the local stores, and then we go to Salt Lake City on occasion to stock up on specialty items. There isn't as much diversity with restaurants in town, but there's some (an Indian place, a Thai place nearby, a Greek restaurant...lots of Mexican).
Still, the cost of living is extraordinarily low, so your money goes a long way. We've saved so much money after moving here, it's unbelievable. We live on campus and ISU has some great on-campus apartments that include all utilities (even phone and cable) so you don't get hit with those high winter gas fees -- if you end up here, I highly recommend the campus housing to start off with. It can get cold, but on the other hand it is very dry so the cold doesn't really hit you as bad as more humid areas -- plus you get so many more sunny days in the winter that you don't get the winter blues so much.
I am also surprised by the diversity in this small town. My wife even found a zen meditation center there, if you can believe that. Additionally, the university becomes the focal point for culture and they have a lot of low or no-cost activities. For example, a couple of nights ago they hosted Chinese Night ($7 per person), with food and entertainment by the Chinese Student Association. Additionally, there is an on-campus movie theater where students can see movies for free. They have great movies every night of the week, including international and independent films. (My wife even suggested some movies for this semester, and they are actually showing them!)
But truly the location has advantages, especially if you like the outdoors. The campus is beautiful -- set in the mountains. There is a ski area only 15 minutes away, Yellowstone/Tetons are 2.5-3.5 hours away, and there's an amazing hot springs resort only 30 minutes away. The outdoor adventure center on campus has tons of fantastic outdoor trips (rafting, horseback riding, skiing, hiking, backpacking, you name it) for students that are super low cost, and great camping is as close as 15 minutes away.
We're really never bored here. If anything, I have to say no to a lot of activities because the PhD program keeps me SO busy! Plus, we can step outside every day and see the gorgeous (right now) snow-capped mountains. It's inspiring.
Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.
