jdub, SMW, and other Alaskans...

[mpp]

Have you seen the latest <a href="http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/famg22001a.htm" target="_blank">stats/</a> for applicant data from last year. It seems that Alaska had the second worst acceptance rate (behind Wyoming) last year. Only 36 percent of those that applied from Alaska got in. Ouch! Last year was also the highest number of Alaskans applying ever (76), a 28 percent increase over the year before. Let's hope for better acceptance numbers this year.

Intrestingly, under the acceptance by race it has no Alaska natives although a native friend of mine was accepted last year.

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[SMW]

Hey, whaddya mean? We're in a virtual tie with New Mexico! Interesting that there were 76 Alaskan applicants and only 72 applicants to the Alaska WWAMI U. Dub program. Out of the 27 who got in somewhere, 10 of those ended up at U. Dub. so 17 ended up elsewhere. Wonder where? I think the the number of Alaska spots for the U. Dub program should be expanded so at least 50% of our applicants get in somewhere! I talked to a guy at the UAA biomedical program office who said they could easily handle more students in the first year program.

 

[mpp]

The problem is that I don't think we'd ever get the state to fund it. Just two years ago they were considering pulling out of the WWAMI program leaving us with no in-state choice. That is when they added the 5-year "work in Alaska" stipulation. The legislators complaint was that they spend all this money on the WWAMI program and then all the trained doctors never practice up here. Bt they had no proof of that and that is why the bill to pull out of WWAMI was never passed. With oil prices low again, next year the legislature will be looking for more cuts to the budget and I'm sure someone will bring up the WWAMI program, so we better get in now.

There is talk of teaming up with the University of Nevada School of Medicine. It would be much cheaper although the program is not considered as good as the UW program.

Right now Nevada typically takes one Alaskan student per year just out of the kindness of their heart. And since the one year of out-of-state you have to pay there is relatively inexpensive, the total cost for four years at Nevada is about the same as going to UW under the WWAMI program.

 

[SMW]

Looks like we're the only Alaskans around!

Do you think the number of spots is capped by the AK legislature or by UWSOM?

 

[mpp]

I think both. If UWSOM would allow more students in, the state of Alaska would have to pay for that.