Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Welcome!
We are excited that you are here to begin your new journey with us. Many of you have traveled from around the country – and from around the world to be at the University of Washington School of Medicine. We welcome your eagerness to learn and wide-eyed curiosity about this next chapter in your life.
We have all faced challenges and uncertainty, especially the last 3 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest. Many of you are wondering what life will be like in Seattle. Many of you have never been to Seattle and you are trusting that this will be the right home for you. As you start your new journey, we want you to know that we are here for you. A world-class faculty and staff are committed to teaching you and to helping you along the way. We want you to gain all of the experiences and have all of the learning opportunities you need to do your work. We want you to feel that you are working in a diverse learning environment, one that is inclusive and equitable.
There will be uncertainty during your training, not only because of the unpredictability of COVID-19, but because you will be – and should be – learning new things about your chosen specialty. You will meet your colleagues and find new friends. You will encounter new interdisciplinary teams with whom you will learn to take care of patients, and, along the way, you will learn more about yourself.
Matriculating now into your new residency or fellowship program should be an adventure – even for those of you who are UW alumni returning as subspecialty fellows. Our top priority is to offer you the best and safest clinical learning environment so that you can develop the skills, behaviors, and attitudes you will need to be successful, independent doctor.
You are one of the amazing high-caliber physicians-and dentists training in one of our 127 residency or fellowship programs that sets UW apart from other institutions. The new wave of 450+ residents and fellows joining us over the next 3 months only highlights this point. You represent an exceptional, diverse, and exceedingly qualified class who will enrich each other’s lives and learning experiences.
Who you are
Exceptional.
- In total, you are 471 incoming residents and fellows
- You are pursuing 117 different specialties
- 287 of you are first-year residents
In some cases, nearly a third of all US medical school graduates going into your specialty applied to your UW program, and you are among the select few to be admitted to these very competitive programs.
Diverse.
- Altogether, you were born in 29 different countries
- 14% of you were born outside of the United States
- 15 of you graduated from a medical school outside of the United States.
- You span generations – you are Gen X, Y and Z.
This is no accident. Diversity and inclusion are core values of UW Graduate Medical Education.
Qualified.
77 of you have achieved other graduate degrees. To name a few, these include:
- 18 PhDs
- 16 MPHs
- 3 MBAs
- 22 MSs
Where you are
Graduate Medical Education (GME). GME programs sponsored by the UW School of Medicine are designed to train skillful physicians with ingrained habits of life-long learning and well-formed ethical and professional modes of practice.
UW Medicine. Among nearly 860 institutions, UW Medicine ranks sixth in the number of programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and 9th in the number of trainees. The UW School of Medicine offers over 121 residency and clinical fellowship programs accredited by the ACGME, two Board-approved fellowship programs, and over 80 non-accredited clinical fellowship programs.
For more information about each of our accredited programs, see our list of the Residency and Clinical Fellowship Programs.
WWAMI. UW Medicine, through its School of Medicine (SOM), is by far the largest sponsor of GME programs in the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI). We have a very important role in building physician workforce capable of meeting the requirements of a rapidly-evolving healthcare environment for rural and underserved areas in our region.
In addition to Seattle-based training, there are three distinct models for Graduate Medical Education across the WWAMI region – Community Based–UW Affiliated, Regional Training Tracks, and Regional Resident Rotations.
Who we are
GME Leadership. We are responsible for the administrative oversight and academic quality of UW’s residency and clinical fellowship programs. Most importantly, we are here for you. Please contact any of us with questions, comments, or concerns.
Jennifer Best, MD, Associate Dean, GME Education & Accreditation