Training tomorrow's physicians

Medical students at the University of Idaho now have a place they can call home. Renovated and repurposed from an existing facility, the new Medical Education Building establishes a showcase headquarters for the School of Health and Medical Professions (SHAMP). In addition to occupying an ideal location only minutes away from the Gritman Medical Center, reuse of this existing structure at the east gateway to campus achieved many project goals including financial feasibility, sustainability, and reduction of energy use.

The converted facility provides 20,000 square feet of modern, flexible amenities for up to 120 students in addition to administrative support space for the program. Interactive learning spaces, clinical skills exam rooms, and faculty offices support the curriculum and address a rapid expansion in enrollment. An expansive student lounge supports collaboration and study with a striking view overlooking the site’s landscape.

Additionally, the building is a short distance from the program’s new anatomy training lab, also designed by Flad. Together these state-of-the-art facilities formalize the relationship with SHAMP’s key partner at the neighboring medical center and anchor this new health sciences precinct. Supporting the program’s mission to improve medical outcomes in formerly underserved rural and tribal populations, the facility’s design fosters the recruitment and training of the next generation of physicians in a thriving community setting welcoming to all.