Mikal Thomsen, a WSU graduate, writing at the explicit request of WSU, talks about his surviving a stroke and goes on to make the absurd claim that he might not have survived if he has been in eastern Washington because that part of the state lacks primary care doctors.
Really? Is it true that stroke survival is less east of the cascades? What role does this Cougar grad think a primary care doctor has in treating this medical emergency? If there is a deficit in emergency rooms on the East side of the state, oughtn’t we be asking how to increase access to emergency rooms? Mr. Thomsen might also want to ask what sort of doctor he wants available to treat a stroke? A doctor trained, as proposed by WSU, in community hospitals or a doctor trained in first class facilities?
A more interesting editorial in the News Tribune comes under the headline, “Don’t reduce medical schooling to cross-state rivalry.” This excellent piece acknowledges the need to offer more positions for students seeking an MD, but asks whether we have the dollars needed to maintain the UW School of Meccine while starting a second, much lower quality school.
That is the real question.