History and Strategic Directions

Strategic Planning for 2024 and beyond

The Colleges Program is engaged in strategic planning for quality improvement and to guide future directions of the Colleges program. In 2022-23, the Colleges conducted hosted faculty, staff and student focus groups and gained additional program perspectives from surveys. Thank you to all who have been leaders in this effort, and have shared their perspectives (see a summary from student listening sessions)  We are using what we heard from students, faculty, staff and leadership across the region to create next steps for our program. If you have additional feedback, thoughts or questions, we welcome you to connect with us! You can reach out directly to Molly B. Jackson (blackley@uw.edu), Julie Calcavecchia (jsmillan@uw.edu).

2014-2024

The UW SOM curriculum renewal in 2014 resulted in a renewed structure of the Colleges program. Students at most sites began staying at their WWAMI regional campus site for the first 18 months (Foundations phase of the curriculum), before a several month pause to study for boards and an earlier launch into the Patient Care phase of the curriculum. With this change, the Colleges program moved to a more regionalized campus model, with 50+ College faculty, 8 College Heads, and numerous staff supporting students and each other in learning communities throughout the region: Washington (Palouse and Selkirk in Spokane, Olympic and Cascade in Seattle), Wyoming (Wind River), Alaska (Denali), Montana (Big Sky) and Idaho (Snake River). Dr. Molly Blackley Jackson became the Assistant Dean for the Colleges in 2019. The Seattle campus will expand from 2 Colleges (with 50 students in each entering class) to 4 Colleges (with 25 students in each entering class) to create smaller student cohorts.

2001-2014

The UWSOM Colleges program was established in 2001 after a curriculum review, with the goal of enhancing clinical skills training throughout the 4 years of medical school education linked to a robust mentoring program. At that time, students spent their first year at one of the regional sites in WWAMI (Seattle, Spokane, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho), then spent their second year of pre-clinical curriculum in Seattle before dispersing throughout the region for clinical training. The program began with one College Head for each of the Colleges and 30 Seattle-based faculty – each with a small group of 6 students in each year of the curriculum. The Colleges were named for natural wonders in the 5 state region, starting with five Colleges named after natural wonders of the WWAMI region – Rainier (WA), Wind River (WY), Denali (AK), Big Sky (MT), and Snake River (ID). As the class size increased, the program added a sixth College (Columbia River), and then a seventh in Spokane (Palouse).

Dr. Erika Goldstein is an internal medicine physician and the founding director of the Colleges program, and created a strong legacy in the Colleges of collaboration, excellence, community, respect, and service to others.  The Erika Goldstein Endowed Scholarship was created in her honor, to support students across WWAMI who aim to pursue service in primary care for underserved communities. 

“The whole art of medicine is in observation… but to educate the eye to see, the ear to hear and the finger to feel takes time, and to make a beginning, to start a (hu)man on the right path, is all that you can do.”
– William Osler

For questions about the UW Colleges program, please reach out to Dr. Molly Blackley Jackson, Assistant Dean for the Colleges (blackley@uw.edu).