FAQ
Our clinics are the primary care home for the majority of the under-served population of Ada County. We are one of the few centers that accepts Medicaid patients. Boise’s two hospitals, Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke’s, help support a special program with Full Circle Health (Health Access) to care for the working poor who do not have medical insurance. The largest minority population in the state is Hispanic at 13%, which doubled in the last ten years and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. We serve a broad base of racial and ethnic minorities, including Hispanic, Bosnian, Russian, Southeast Asian, Somali, and Afghani patients, many of whom have settled in Boise as part of the Refugee Resettlement Program. We have 47 languages spoken in the clinics. Our Raymond Street clinic sees a large number of elderly patients, affording residents excellent training in geriatrics. Our Fort Street facility has special pediatrics and obstetrics clinics where residents receive intensive training in those areas. We also care for all the areas HIV/AIDS patients which number over 600.
Our clinics are full service with weekly vasectomy, treadmill, plastics and orthopedics clinics with one or two residents participating in each clinic. Endoscopies and colonoscopies are also performed in the clinic, allowing those residents who are interested in these procedures to become competent by the time they graduate. Ultrasound is available in both clinics and used routinely in prenatal care and opportunities exist for colposcopy, LEEP procedures, and performing D&Cs.
Many of our residents come from the Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon) and have a specific interest in practicing medicine in rural areas of Idaho or the surrounding states. However, residents come from all parts of the country, including Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Virginia, South Dakota, Colorado, Minnesota, and Florida just to name a few.
Many of the residents are married or have significant others but the number of coupled residents varies each year. Some years the majority of residents are single. More importantly, married or single, the residents all find time to socialize with like-minded colleagues and Full Circle Health hosts several residency-wide events each year. Universally, the faculty, residents, and staff are very supportive of residents with families (this is Family Medicine, after all!). Policies exist within the program that allow up to a month of maternity/paternity leave and an additional one-month elective in maternity/child health care.
Boise offers ample job opportunities. Residents’ partners have found work as a massage therapist, contractor, nurse, nurse practitioner, ski patrol, financial analyst, physician, outdoor writer/photographer, social worker, middle school teacher, dentist, etc. The top seven employers in town are Micron Technology, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Albertsons Inc., St. Luke’s Medical Center, Boise State University and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center and DirecTV. For partners seeking educational opportunities, Boise State University has strong departments in computers, engineering, business, and allied health professions.
The diverse Full Circle Health faculty is very dynamic and extremely dedicated to patient care and resident education. Our faculty is one of the largest strengths of the program and turnover is very low. We have 27 family medicine physicians. In addition, our faculty includes four pediatricians, two OB/Gyn’s, two psychiatrists, one plastic surgeon, five physician assistants, one PharmD, sports medicine fellow, and HIV/AIDS primary care fellow. The clinics also have four social workers, experienced nursing staff, five physician’s assistants, three nurse practitioners, a nutritionist, a certified nurse midwife, and several affiliate health care workers. Numerous part-time and affiliated faculty work with residents on a routine basis in several specialty fields including perinatology, infectious disease, general and plastic surgery, and gastroenterology.
Located along the Boise river where the desert meets the Rocky Mountains, Boise is one of America’s most livable and likable cities. With a population of 200,000, Boise offers the culture and entertainment of a large urban area in a place that feels a little like everyone’s hometown. In fact, several Fortune 500 companies call Boise home. Quality of life is high and residents and visitors alike enjoy the unique blend of natural beauty and urban comforts. Boise is located on a high desert plain and has a surprisingly mild climate. The city sees very little rain or snow – an average of 12 inches each per year – and the moderate temperatures and low humidity make it the perfect place to play year-round.
Visitors will be surprised by all Boise has to offer. The city is proud of its philharmonic orchestra, opera, ballet and theater companies and summer Shakespeare festival that features outdoor performances along the Boise River. The Gene Harris Jazz Festival and Art in the Park continue to be favorites among both locals and visitors and there are plenty of museums and attractions to educate and entertain. And of course, Boise is home to the blue turf and Boise State Bronco football!.
Culture and entertainment mix nicely with the abundant outdoor recreation. Summer brings plenty of sunshine, perfect for a bike ride or a walk along the 25-mile Greenbelt or a round of golf at one of the area’s 12 beautiful courses. For those who like a bit more adventure, try mountain biking in Boise’s foothills, floating the Boise River on an inflatable raft or tube, or whitewater rafting on the Payette River, just 45 minutes north of the city. In the winter, enjoy nordic and alpine skiing at Bogus Basin Mountian Resort or spend a day – or night – skiing or snowboarding the resort’s groomed downhill trails. Boise’s indoor ice-skating rink is open year-round.
Sports fans can enjoy Boise’s professional athletic teams, including the Idaho Steelheads WCHL hockey and Boise Hawks baseball. Les Bois Park features both thoroughbred and quarterhorse racing and simulcast racing and betting during the off-season.
Boise has many fine restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisine in both casual and elegant settings – everything from coffee houses to brew pubs to romantic elegance. Boise Towne Square Mall, Boise Factory Outlet Mall, boutiques, galleries and antique stores will tempt the savvy shopper. Downtown Boise is alive with events, entertainment and a variety of dining and unique shopping options.
Our rare blend of urban amenities and outdoor recreation opportunities offers something for everyone, from conventions to individual business travelers to families. Make plans to visit Boise soon! (http://www.boise.org/visitors/)
The Boise Valley has it all: great year-round weather, a thriving business community, breathtaking natural scenery, nationally recognized cultural events, and an outdoor playground that is second to none. But one thing we proudly lack is the high cost of living of some of our neighboring states. In fact, based on averages for housing, utilities, health care, transportation, groceries, and other services, Idaho’s cost of living is one of the lowest in the western states”], according to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index.