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Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

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College of Medicine class profile gives glimpse into medical education need

ESFCOM First ClassA new profile of the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine charter class shows it is comprised of a strong percentage of women, low socioeconomic status and first generation students.

The class, a group of 60 students who are current residents of or have significant ties to Washington, represent a population of talented students who would otherwise have been forced to go out of state for their medical educations.

Selected from more than 700 applications that were submitted … » More …

Welcome Charter Class

Founding Dean John TomkowiakWe finally reached the moment we have awaited for so long – the arrival of our first class at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

For our 60 talented students, this marks the culmination of years of persistent and intense determination to attend medical school. These students, who represent 15 of the state’s 39 counties, have served in multiple countries around the globe, and who bring a wide range of diverse family, educational and professional backgrounds; are … » More …

Numerica donation arms WSU medical students with iPads

Numerica and ESFCOM Logos

Students arriving in August to attend WSU’s new Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will kick off their medical education with a technology head start thanks to the generous donation of iPads from Numerica Credit Union.

The Spokane Valley-based credit union is gifting the iPads to all 60 members of the medical school’s charter class during orientation week to ensure the next generation of Washington state’s physicians are empowered to learn and treat patients with the technology being rapidly adopted in healthcare.

“We are so … » More …

Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine incorporates nutrition, exercise physiology training

The Nutrition and Exercise Physiology program at WSU Spokane has been named as an academic department under the WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

The move reflects Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s (ESFCOM) goals to be one of the first medical schools in the nation to make scientific wellness — where critical health indicators, including DNA and lifestyle, are accessed and followed by nutritional coaching — part of its curriculum. Inclusion of the nutrition and exercise physiology (NEP) department is an important step in that direction.

“I look forward to seeing our nutrition and exercise … » More …

WSU College of Medicine appoints four new administrators

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University recently added a communications director and three associate deans.

Christina VerHeul, communications director, joins WSU from ReviveHealth, a Nashville-based integrated marketing agency focusing exclusively on healthcare, where she served as vice president. Prior, she led communications in the hospitality and restaurant industries with major national brands including Loews Hotels & Resorts, Hunt Brothers Pizza and Cracker Barrel. She has also worked in energy/utilities, information technology, architecture and construction. A native of Spokane, VerHeul earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from WSU.

Dr. Larry Schecter, Dr. Kevin Murray and Dr. Farion … » More …

Scientific Wellness enhances personalized medicine training

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is announcing today that its inaugural class will be participating in a cutting-edge Scientific Wellness program provided by Arivale.

The program reflects a partnership with Arivale, which analyzes critical health indicators — including DNA, blood and saliva, and lifestyle — to create a enhanced picture of a person’s wellness condition and potential. Then, it provides tailored coaching to create recommendations to optimize wellness.

The entire first-year class of 60 medical students, as well as select faculty and administrators, will have the unprecedented opportunity to enroll in the program. Arivale will take an integrated, … » More …

‘Sleep gene’ offers clues about why we need our zzzs

Jason Gerstner in lab

Assistant Research Professor Jason Gerstner (center) in his research lab with colleagues Kit Hayworth (left), clinical assistant professor, and Becky Taylor (right), clinical laboratory specialist.

By Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer

SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have seen how a particular gene is involved in the quality of sleep experienced by three different animals, including humans. The gene and its function open a new avenue for scientists exploring how sleep works and why animals need it … » More …

Rewards Help Reduce Alcohol Abuse, Study Shows

Michael McDonnell

Michael McDonell demonstrates a prize draw used in his study on treating alcohol abuse.

By Judith Van Dongen, WSU Spokane

Researchers at Washington State University have shown that offering prizes—from simple shampoo to DVD players—can be an effective, low-cost treatment for alcohol abuse, one of the leading preventable causes of death.

The treatment was studied in Seattle-area participants with serious mental illness. A surprise benefit of the treatment was that it decreased study participants’ tobacco and drug use.

Findings from … » More …

Native American scholarship reaches endowment level

A scholarship for Native American students in Washington State University’s Speech and Hearing Sciences program has reached the endowment level and will create a lasting legacy for its namesake — the late J. Richard Franks, Ph.D., a former professor and leader in the department.

Franks saw that Native Americans were vastly under-represented in the field and took action to change that. He secured U.S. Department of Education funding in the 1980s which established the foundation for WSU’s Native American professional preparation program in speech-language pathology and audiology.

Over a 25-year period, Franks was actively involved in the department’s efforts to recruit and … » More …

Preliminary accreditation received

On October 18, 2016, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine passed a pivotal milestone. It received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The College can now begin to recruit its charter class of 60 students.

Accreditation marks the culmination of more than a year of work that united the College with communities across the state. Together, we have created an infrastructure for health care education and delivery that is “bold, audacious, and visionary.”

Those three words, spoken by the late Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd, capture the essence of his idea for a second public medical school in the … » More …