Construction is expected to begin next month on a building that will house the first medical school in Idaho.
The proposed Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine will be situated on the campus of the Idaho State University Meridian Health Science Center in Meridian, but will operate independently of the university, according to the medical school's web site.
Construction of a $32 million, 90,000-square-foot building to house the medical school is scheduled for sometime in April. Officials expect to welcome its first class of students in 2018.
Idaho is the most populous state without a medical school and ranks 49th or 50th in physicians per capita, the school's web site says.
"Having a medical school in the state will ensure a steady supply of physicians in teh state," the school says. "It will also give local opportunities for Idahoans to go to medical school."
The planned facility will have a large lobby, admissions, library, simulation spaces, osteopathic manual manipulation lab, standardized patient clinic simulation suite, lecture halls, small group study rooms, and a number of student lounge and support spaces. It will be supported by and existing anatomy lab within the ISU-Meridian building.
The three-story building will be situated around a large open courtyard that will be used year-round by students, faculty, and staff. Outdoor seating areas and signature elements, such as fountains and iconic signage, will also be incorporated into the site design.
The architect is Dekker Perich Sabatini.
Video tour of proposed building:
