{"id":11394,"date":"2012-10-02T07:00:14","date_gmt":"2012-10-02T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/?p=11394"},"modified":"2013-07-19T16:43:35","modified_gmt":"2013-07-19T22:43:35","slug":"why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Idaho&#8217;s Doctor Shortage Won&#8217;t Be Easy To Solve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 16%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-11394 gallery-columns-6 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/jennifer-petrie-portrait1\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Portrait1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Portrait1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Portrait1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Portrait1-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11470'>\n\t\t\t\tDr. Jennifer Petrie, 40, knew she wanted to be a rural, family physician since she was in high school in Lewiston, Idaho.  Her office at the Emmett Medical Center is cluttered with photos of her kids, their drawings, and stacks of patient charts. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/smither-petrie\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Smither-Petrie-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Smither-Petrie-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Smither-Petrie-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Smither-Petrie-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11473'>\n\t\t\t\tEmmett, Idaho resident Rebecca Smither (left) talks with Dr. Jennifer Petrie (right). Petrie is a graduate of the WWAMI program and now practices in Emmett.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/rebecca-smither-_-jennifer-petrie\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Rebecca-Smither-_-Jennifer-Petrie-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Rebecca-Smither-_-Jennifer-Petrie-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Rebecca-Smither-_-Jennifer-Petrie-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Rebecca-Smither-_-Jennifer-Petrie-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11472'>\n\t\t\t\tDr. Petrie checks the progress of Rebecca Smither&#8217;s pregnancy.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/ted-epperly\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Ted-Epperly-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Ted-Epperly-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Ted-Epperly-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Ted-Epperly-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11475'>\n\t\t\t\tDr. Ted Epperly is the Program Director of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/jennifer-petrie-office2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Office2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Office2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Office2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Jennifer-Petrie-Office2-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11469'>\n\t\t\t\tDr. Jennifer Petrie sees patients at the Emmett Medical Center four days a week. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/olivia-vandermate-jennifer-petrie-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Olivia-Vandermate-Jennifer-Petrie-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Olivia-Vandermate-Jennifer-Petrie-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Olivia-Vandermate-Jennifer-Petrie-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Olivia-Vandermate-Jennifer-Petrie-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11471'>\n\t\t\t\tFive-month-old Olivia Vandermate gets examined by Dr. Petrie during a recent check up.  Petrie was Olivia&#8217;s delivery doctor and has taken care of her since. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/02\/why-idahos-doctor-shortage-wont-be-easy-to-solve\/stethescope-and-chart\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Stethescope-and-Chart-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Stethescope-and-Chart-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Stethescope-and-Chart-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Stethescope-and-Chart-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><em><\/em>Dr. Jennifer Petrie has known since she was a high school student in Lewiston, Idaho, that she wanted to be a rural family physician.<\/p>\n<p>Petrie works at the Emmett Medical Center, less than an hour\u2019s drive north of Boise.\u00a0 She sees patients four days a week in her small, sparse examining room here and also works the emergency room shift a couple times a month at the neighboring hospital.<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F101780006&amp;color=17807e&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_artwork=false\" height=\"166\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Petrie is a generalist. She didn\u2019t want to choose a high-paying specialty.\u00a0 For her, seeing all kinds of people was the most appealing thing about being a doctor.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no other specialty where you can see patients in clinic, admit them to the hospital, see patients in the ER, deliver babies and do C-sections,&#8221; Petrie explains.\u00a0 &#8220;And for me, I love the variety, I love the continuity.\u00a0 I love taking care of patients from start to finish.\u201d\u00a0<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Idaho could use a lot more people like Dr. Petrie. The state has a major <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/tag\/doctor-shortage\/\">doctor shortage<\/a>, especially in rural areas.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11437\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/maps\/map-how-the-number-of-idaho-doctors-stacks-up-to-other-states\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11437\" title=\"Docs Per 100,000 MAP\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Docs-Per-100000-MAP-300x198.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Docs-Per-100000-MAP-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/Docs-Per-100000-MAP.jpg 571w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Emilie Ritter Saunders \/ StateImpact<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click the image to explore the map.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For every 100,000 Idahoans, there were 184 practicing doctors here in 2010, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. That ranks Idaho 49<sup>th<\/sup> in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services <a href=\"http:\/\/hpsafind.hrsa.gov\/HPSASearch.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">has designated<\/a> all but five of Idaho\u2019s counties as primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas.<\/p>\n<p>The problem may get worse before it gets better. Many doctors in Idaho are nearing retirement.<\/p>\n<p title=\"Understanding Idaho\u2019s Doctor Shortage\">The most current data from the American Medical Association shows 41.5 percent of all physicians in Idaho are 55 or older.<\/p>\n<p><em><\/em>Meanwhile, there is growing demand for doctors in Idaho. That&#8217;s partially due to the state&#8217;s continuing population growth. But it&#8217;s also because of the federal health care overhaul, which is increasing the number of Idahoans who have health insurance. Even more would gain coverage if Idaho agrees to\u00a0<a title=\"Idaho\u2019s Medicaid Expansion Workgroup Explores Three Options\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/09\/27\/idahos-medicaid-expansion-workgroup-explores-three-options\/\" target=\"_blank\">expand its Medicaid<\/a>\u00a0program. That&#8217;s something a state task force has been studying since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal health law this summer.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have great concern about whether the number of providers we have now can be replaced,&#8221; says Susan Skillman, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. &#8220;Let alone whether the number can grow to meet this growing demand.<em>&#8220;<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Building Idaho&#8217;s Doctor Workforce<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cAll this has a cumulative effect downstream,&#8221; says Dr. Ted Epperly.\u00a0 &#8220;And what that effect is poorer health.\u201d\u00a0<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Epperly runs a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fmridaho.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">family medical residency program<\/a> for med students in Boise. He\u2019s also been active in public health policy at the state and national level.\u00a0 He says for Idaho to begin attracting more general practitioners, education opportunities need to be expanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStep one is to build enough residency programs,&#8221; Epperly says. &#8220;Step two is to increase the [number] of students training in Idaho. And step three is to scale up the number of students training either through an Idaho-based medical school or a partnered medical school.\u201d\u00a0<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignleft\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/maps\/map-how-the-number-of-idaho-doctors-stacks-up-to-other-states\/\">Map: How The Number Of Idaho Doctors Stacks Up To Other States<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/09\/26\/idaho-lawmakers-will-be-asked-to-fund-five-additional-wwami-seats\/\">Idaho Lawmakers Will Be Asked To Fund Five Additional WWAMI\u00a0Seats<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/12\/as-idahos-doctor-workforce-ages-who-is-stepping-up-to-replace-them\/\">As Idaho&#8217;s Doctor Workforce Ages, Who Is Stepping Up To Replace Them?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/09\/an-interview-with-dr-ted-epperly-on-idahos-doctor-shortage\/\">An Interview With Dr. Ted Epperly On Idaho&#8217;s Doctor Shortage<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/04\/how-idaho-is-trying-to-boost-its-number-of-doctors\/\">How Idaho Is Trying To Boost Its Number Of Doctors<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/08\/comparing-doctor-shortages-in-small-states\/\">Comparing Doctor Shortages In Small States<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/03\/what-north-dakota-can-show-idaho-about-training-rural-doctors\/\">What North Dakota Can Show Idaho About Training Rural Doctors<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/09\/92063909.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/topic\/wwami\/\">WWAMI: Idaho\u2019s Medical School<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/08\/Olivia-Vandermate-Jennifer-Petrie.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/topic\/doctor-shortage\/\">Understanding Idaho\u2019s Doctor Shortage<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Idaho doesn\u2019t have its own medical school.\u00a0 Instead, the state pays to send up to 20 students per year to the University of Washington.\u00a0 Eight more go to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.\u00a0 For these students, Idaho pays the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.<\/p>\n<p>Idaho is currently able to train 34 first-year residents in programs like Epperly&#8217;s that are based at hospitals and clinics in Boise and Pocatello.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Washington partnership, known as <a title=\"WWAMI: Idaho\u2019s Medical School\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/topic\/wwami\/\" target=\"_blank\">the WWAMI program<\/a> includes Wyoming, Alaska and Montana &#8212; all states without medical schools.<\/p>\n<p>Since 1975, Idaho has never had more than <a title=\"Idaho Lawmakers Will Be Asked To Fund Five Additional WWAMI\u00a0Seats\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/09\/26\/idaho-lawmakers-will-be-asked-to-fund-five-additional-wwami-seats\/\" target=\"_blank\">20 first-year seats<\/a> at U-W, despite seeing the population more than double over that time. \u00a0And it takes a long time to convert those seats into practicing doctors.\u00a0The 28 first-year med students who started at the University of Washington or University of Utah this fall won\u2019t be practicing medicine until at least the year 2019. <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During the current fiscal year, the state spent just over $5 million to fund those medical school programs.<\/p>\n<p>Funding approval for these kinds of programs starts in the state&#8217;s budget committee, of which Representative Maxine Bell (R-Jerome) is a member.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do know we should be doing more,\u201d Bell says.\u00a0 &#8220;It\u2019s not difficult in a budget the size of ours to carve out half a million dollars and start something.\u00a0 But the difficulty comes from the fact you already have so many core responsibilities in place &#8212; with demands for additional money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Idaho Board of Education will ask that panel of lawmakers, including Representative Bell, to fund an additional five <a title=\"Idaho Lawmakers Will Be Asked To Fund Five Additional WWAMI\u00a0Seats\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/09\/26\/idaho-lawmakers-will-be-asked-to-fund-five-additional-wwami-seats\/\" target=\"_blank\">WWAMI positions<\/a> when the Legislature convenes in January.<\/p>\n<p><em><\/em>From Ted Epperly\u2019s perspective, lawmakers should look at funding programs like WWAMI as an investment, not an expense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that the legislature doesn\u2019t care, it\u2019s because they\u2019re looking at a constricted budget and making year by year decisions,&#8221; Epperly says.\u00a0 &#8220;It\u2019s easy then, to miss the big picture of falling this far behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Returning To Idaho<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Dr. Epperly and Dr. Petrie both attended the University of Washington\u2019s medical school, as part of the WWAMI program.\u00a0 They eventually came back to work in Idaho &#8212; but they weren\u2019t required to.<\/p>\n<p>About 70 percent of WWAMI graduates return to practice in Idaho.\u00a0 So the program doesn\u2019t guarantee more doctors for people in the state.\u00a0 Idaho does offer some loan-repayment options as a way to recruit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"module aside left half\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov\/Health\/RuralHealthandPrimaryCare\/HealthCareAccessPhysicianIncentiveProgram\/tabid\/409\/Default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">The Rural Healthcare Access Program<\/a> is a way for Idaho communities to attract doctors by offering signing bonuses or student loan repayments.\u00a0 There are currently 21 grant requests totaling $595,926.\u00a0 The state has $183,300 available for 2013.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov\/Portals\/0\/Health\/Rural%20Health\/RPIP%20PostCardAnnouncement%20-%201%20page.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">The Rural Physician Incentive Program<\/a> is a loan repayment program for doctors who chose to practice in a rural part of the state.\u00a0 It&#8217;s open to doctors from all schools, though preference is given to WWAMI and University of Utah graduates. Doctors are eligible to apply for up to $50,000 of loan repayment.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<p>Dr. Petrie is a beneficiary of that program. She gets money to pay for some of her student loans since she chose to practice in rural Emmett. But the loan help isn&#8217;t what swayed her to work in a rural part the state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not for everyone \u2026 and there are easier ways to make a buck,&#8221; Petrie says with a laugh. &#8220;It has to be something you want to do.\u201d\u00a0<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Petrie frequently stresses how being a family doctor isn\u2019t a routine 9-to-5 job.\u00a0 It\u2019s a life of late nights in the delivery room, long ER shifts and balancing the job with her own life as a wife and a mom. And that, she says, is another reason why family practice has become such a tough sell today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a mom, I always feel like I\u2019m ripping somebody off just a little bit &#8212; I\u2019m either ripping off my patients or my kids or my husband or my family,&#8221; says Petrie.\u00a0 &#8220;You have to look at it as your lifestyle not just your career.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Correction: We originally reported that three years from now, more than half of the doctors in Idaho will be 65 or older.\u00a0 That statistic is inaccurate, and have amended the story to read: Data from the American Medical Association shows in 2010, 41.5 percent of doctors in Idaho were 55 or older.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Idaho has fewer physicians per capita than every state in the nation except one.  And the shortage is expected to deepen as more than half of Idaho&#8217;s doctors will be over the age of 65 within three years.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":11471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[24,183,188],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}