Getting into medical school is tough. As a junior at Whitworth University on the pre-medical track, I can attest to the challenges of keeping up with classes, participating in extracurricular activities, performing scientific research and having some semblance of a life outside of class.

I was always relieved, however, by the fact that one of the best medical schools in the country, the University of Washington’s, is not just located in my state of residence, but is training medical students in my hometown of Spokane.

But Washington State University and legislators in Olympia are calling that into question with their political game of chicken concerning the budget of training future physicians in Spokane in the WWAMI program.

Let’s face it. WSU is not a beacon of academic prestige. The UW is. The UW also happens to be among the top 10 medical schools in the country. It beats Harvard University in training primary care physicians, whom we need desperately.

So, to WSU and legislators who want to have their name tied to what will certainly be a medical school that pales in comparison to the UW: Stop playing games with my future career and the health of the inland Northwest.

Alex Hoffmann

Spokane