Dr. Joyner’s Blog April: Celebrating our Match Results

by amande | Apr 7, 2023 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

This month, we celebrate the incoming class of trainees who will join us this summer! For the third year in a row, our residency and fellowship programs virtually recruited the best and the brightest medical students from around the country – and the world!  This year, 84 of our 200+ total ACGME and non-ACGME training programs participated in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and 23 participated in the San Francisco Match.

Both the NRMP Main Residency and Specialties Matches were the largest on record, with 40,375 positions available in the Main Residency Match and 13,365 positions in the Specialties Match.  This year was also our largest Match at UWSOM with 299 positions offered in the Main match and 191 in the Specialties Match.

Main Residency Match

• In the Main Residency Match, the 26 participating UWSOM residency programs had a match rate of 98.7% (and 99.3% after the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP) compared to 93.3% nationally.
• From 2019-2022 we saw small year-to-year decreases in the number of UWSOM graduates matching to our residency programs. This year, we matched 56 UWSOM graduates (an increase of 17 from 2022) or 19% of our matched applicants.
• Nationally, the number of matched US MD seniors, US DO seniors, US citizen IMGs, and non-US citizen IMGs increased from last year. The number of unmatched US MD seniors to PGY-1 positions decreased again this year, a two-year trend.

Specialties Matching Program

• In the Specialties (fellowship) Match, the 58 participating UWSOM fellowship programs offered 191 positions with a match rate of 91.6% compared to 86.4% nationally. Another 10 positions have been filled post-Match.
• 41 of the 175 spots filled in the Match were filled by UWSOM residents, a slight decrease from 2022.
• Nationally, the number of matched UW MD graduates, US DO graduates, US citizen IMGs, and non-US citizen IMGs increased from last year.

The past three years have been difficult, but UWSOM programs continue to have strong match results and we remain a very competitive training institution, as reflected by the 5-year trends below:

Increasing Diversity in our Training Programs

UW Medicine is creating a healthcare system that works for everyone. To that end, it is essential that we prioritize diversifying the medical workforce. This is not just a moral imperative. It is a practical one, as diversity can lead to better health outcomes and a more effective healthcare system overall.

This year our programs reported increases in both Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) candidates who matched in our medical and dental programs. As we work together to increase and, more importantly, sustain inclusivity and diversity in our workforce, we can continue to provide better equity of patient care in our community.

I want to congratulate program and department leadership, residents and fellows, and the Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) for their tremendous efforts in our journey to diversify our learning community. For the third year, the GME Office and NURF hosted Town Halls to help our programs attract underrepresented and vulnerable minority candidates. One of the NURF Town Halls had more than 600 participants.

Below is this year’s representation of BIPOC, URM and women who have historically been minoritized in Medicine, as reported by our departments.

*See 2022 results and 2021 results

All members of our community, including the department chairs, residents and fellows, program directors and administrators, faculty, and staff, worked together to produce these excellent results. Especially during these challenging times, it is critical that we cultivate an environment where everyone feels safe and as though they belong, an environment in which everyone can be successful.

Congratulations and thank you!

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: GME Strategic Planning

by amande | Mar 10, 2023 | Announcements, News

Jennifer Best, MD

Cindy Hamra JD, MA

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Exciting times are afoot within the GME Office!

Now to be fair, our team finds all the work we do exciting, but at this moment we are working to finalize our GME Strategic Plan for AY2024 to 2029. In this edition of the Blog, we would like to provide our community with an overview of work to date and what you might expect moving forward.

 

How Our Community Has Informed The Process

You may recall that in July 2022, we sent a survey to our community and stakeholders, including our residents and fellows, program directors and administrators, department administrators, chairs, and leaders of UW Medicine. Our goal here was to “broaden the circle” of voices, as compared with previous iterations of strategic planning. We appreciated hearing from many of you within the context of this SWOT (Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats) analysis about the work we accomplished related to our prior strategic plan and where there is work still to do.

 

How We Analyzed The Data

A group of GME team members sat with those results to identify themes for each group of stakeholders, with specific attention to themes identified by multiple groups as important priorities. Knowing that our work must be aligned with broader systems, the second step involved evaluated mapping this narrower list of themes against “inputs” that we felt would raise their priority moving forward, including UW Medicine strategy, our Equity Blueprint, ACGME requirements, and our own sense of emerging priority areas that has evolved as we engage each day with individuals, programs, and departments.

 

Emergent Priority Areas

Our previous strategic plan was predicated on list of key values that drove our work. Because we believe this has been an effective way to share our goals internally and externally, we will be communicating our new strategic plan on these same Strategic Values. At a high level, the following areas have emerged as key for AY24-29

 

ADVOCACY​

Does everyone in our community have what they need to do their jobs and feel valued? How do we help programs avoid accreditation threats? Can GME fund the work it wants to do?

COMMUNICATION​

Do members of the GME community feel connected with one another? Do we learn from one another and avoid reinventing the wheel?

EXPERTISE​

How do we create standards where they haven’t existed before? How do maximize our use of technology? How can we come to be seen as the standard for GME?

INTEGRATION​

How do we help programs to anticipate and respond to the shifts in clinical needs? How do we do more with limited resources? How do we support UW Medicine’s goals of serving the region?

PEOPLE​

How do we bring, grow, and keep the right people, doing the right work? How do we create an environment in which all members can reach full potential? How do we heal and care for our community?

QUALITY AND VALUE​

Can we be more strategic in data collection and reporting? How do we effectively “speak the language” of decision-makers when advocating for resources? How can we raise the visibility of learning environment needs that are common across programs and departments?

 

What’s Next?

We are vetting a draft of the Strategic Plan within the GME Office, including careful thought about how we will know we are making progress (What are our key performance indicators and outcomes?) We plan to bring a draft back to some members of the broader community that identified a desire to participate in a focus group with the plan to present the plan to the Graduate Medical Education Committed (GMEC) and share the final plan more broadly with our stakeholders – including you – in May and June.

 

This is important work – work that will take all of us. The worlds of clinical care, health professions education and GME are complex, and always shifting, as is the world around us. Thank you for the privilege of working on your behalf as your partners in this next season.

 

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

 

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Operations and Administration

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Thank You to our Residents and Fellows, From the Bedside

by amande | Feb 24, 2023 | Announcements, News

On this Thank A Resident Day, the UW GME team wishes to express our wholehearted gratitude for the many ways that residents and fellows enhance our community by bringing their best to challenging circumstances, supporting one another and working diligently to learn, grow and inspire change.

Yet there may be no better way, perhaps, to honor our trainees’ impact than by sharing the words of patients whose lives they improve each day. For these individuals, the work of residents and fellows is never unnoticed. These are just some of the recent comments received by UW Medicine. It is a privilege to receive and share them.

The resident helping me is a rockstar – very warm, helpful, informative, comforting and insightful.

I could have seen someone else saying, “You’ll need another appt. for all this.” But she dived in and got it done.

I would like to switch to this doctor because he is absolutely fantastic and knows what he is doing. Very well educated, concerned about everything you have to say and makes sure everything is done properly and you feel good about the visit with him.

…kind, gentle, attentive, and the model of excellent primary care

…talked to me with respect, not down to me. Several doctors and nurses treated me as an old woman and didn’t know or understand. I am an old lady but I am not senile. I still have all my marbles.

I loved that I had a female surgeon. She was knowledgeable, confident and caring.

A wonderful doctor- knowledgeable, caring, empathetic, and informative…I GREATLY appreciate her respectful “partnership approach” to my healthcare.

Always there for me. I love the professional manner in which he handles medical concerns.
She also told me she was here for me if I needed anything. I really appreciated that.

The resident on my case made my experience better.

Education can at times feel somewhat abstract, yet we are fortunate that in health professions education, relationships with patients are protective and centering. The moments represented above are anything but abstract. They are vulnerable, deeply interpersonal and filled with shared optimism. And today, we celebrate that they are only made possible by the exceptional personal qualities and commitment of our residents and fellows.

From those of us who work alongside you in hospitals and clinics, and the team of staff that make that clinical and educational work possible, thank you for inspiring our hope in the future of healthcare!

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Operations and Administration

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Embrace The Embrace

by amande | Feb 6, 2023 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

There are many symbols in our country that reflect the struggle of Black people in America.

For this month of Black History celebration, I choose to focus on The Embrace, the new controversial sculpture in the Boston Commons, unveiled just last month. It reminds me of the ultimate commandment – which is to love one other.

Of all the Civil Rights statues standing, it is one of few that commemorates both Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King. The 20-foot, 19-ton bronze sculpture was designed by Hank Willis Thomas, an African American artist who works primarily with themes related to identity, history and popular culture. The work was chosen from more than 200 entries in a competition by the Boston public. From the moment of its unveiling, The Embrace has been criticized in the press and social media and panned widely by critics for its stylistic ambiguity and suggestive imagery.

I have not seen the sculpture yet, but I’m compelled to write about it because of its intended meaning. The Embrace is a great symbol of an iconic man, Martin Luther King, Jr., sharing a tender moment with his wife after he won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

Until that moment, the Nobel Peace Prize had only been awarded to two Black men: Ralph Johnson Bunche, a political scientist, diplomat and leading actor in the mid-20th Century decolonization process and the US Civil Rights Movement; and Albert John Luthuli, a Black South African and anti-Apartheid activist. At just 35-years old, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest American ever to win the coveted prize for combatting racial injustice through non-violent resistance. Four years later, he was dead.

The Embrace represents the strong arms of MLK and is supposed to be the embodiment of a beloved community. We may not be there yet, but I have hope. Is it possible for us to think of what is good instead of demeaning the tremendous work of art and the artist? Especially now, at a moment that is so critical to our post-COVID-19 recovery, which has, in many ways, led to our isolation and desocialization, we need to think of King’s legacy as the reification of kindness.

King is arguably the most influential figure of the Civil Rights movement. This statue is a bold aide-mémoire that models for us what we should all be doing – and that is creating human touch and building up humanity, not tearing it down. There have been critical memes and statements debasing the statue, taking a swipe at our sacred and dignified man who shares a tender moment with his wife, an embrace displayed to the worldwide community at a time when we can all use a hug.

Take a moment out of your busy lives to embrace a friend, a family member, or a colleague during the month of February. We need less judgment and more love in our lives. In a world where we are taught, you can be anything, be kind.

Embrace The Embrace.

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: January

by amande | Jan 5, 2023 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

This month, I’ve invited Dr. Heather Barnett of the Care of Patients Experiencing Incarceration (CPEI) Task Force, partnering with GME’s Learning Gateway to share the group’s work on improving care of patients experiencing incarceration. I am very proud of this group’s work for this vulnerable population of patients we see in our hospitals.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

We are excited to share the efforts that our group has been working on to improve the care of patients in the UW Medicine System experiencing incarceration.

Background of the group

Patients incarcerated in King County’s jails are a specifically identified mission population of Harborview Medical Center, but care for this population presents unique challenges. In July 2020, the Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee (HQSC) reviewed a submission to the patient safety network in which a trainee expressed moral distress regarding the care of a patient from King County Jail who left the emergency department against medical advice despite their acute medical emergency due to the use of 4-point forensic restraints. Many residents shared similar experiences of moral distress related to limitations in care for patients experiencing incarceration. Discussions among residents led to the recognition that care for patients experiencing incarceration needed additional attention and focus. To improve care of this patient population while maintaining a safe environment for all, a group of trainees created a designated task force to further investigate current issues and targets for quality improvement.

Work so far

Survey of Healthcare workers

We conducted a survey among UW Medicine healthcare staff (including attending physicians, trainee physicians, nurses, therapists, and others) and received over 300 responses. We found that:

• Most healthcare staff did not have any specific training or education related to this patient population.

• Most healthcare staff were interested in further training to address knowledge gaps and improve patient care

• Challenges and issues providing optimal patient care were frequent.

Data Gathering

We engaged key stakeholders to determine current issues, priorities, and goals. The group gained valuable information from a variety of stakeholders.

Stakeholders

Education & Data Sharing

Several educational presentations and discussions were held, and preliminary resources were created:

• In May 2021, the UW HQSC-NURF Health Equity Conference was held focusing on the topic of “Caring for Patients who are Incarcerated.”
• Lara Strick and Marc Stern hosted a 3-hour training and discussion session with interested healthcare staff.
• The Task Force created preliminary training materials, including a one-pager and short video for resident and fellow use.

Additional Information

• Please check out our new website! This includes links to our currently available training resources (please note, these resources are undergoing ongoing review and improvement):
  • Caring for Patients Experiencing Incarceration
  • Trainee-produced 35 minute education video
• Read more about the group in the 2021 Annual HOUSE Publication, produced by UW HQSC!
• Law Enforcement Requests Disclosure of Patient Information from UW Medicine.

Next Steps

• To optimize educational content, we are excited to partner with GME’s eLearning team, Learning Gateway, to develop and distribute a GME-supported eLearning module for current and future residents, fellows, and (hopefully) other staff.
  • This project will begin development in the Spring of 2023, with an expected 2024 launch
  • We will continue to involve stakeholders, area experts, and anyone interested in supporting the project! Please get in touch!
• Possible long-term goals include evaluation of hospital policies related to care of patients experiencing incarceration and community involvement.

How to get involved

Heather Barnett, MD, PhD Acting Assistant Professor

If you are interested in being involved in the development of a training module, would like to share thoughts or feedback, or have other ways you would like to be involved, please reach out to our group by email!

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: December: Reflecting on the Year

by amande | Dec 8, 2022 | Announcements, News

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: November

by amande | Nov 9, 2022 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

In the October DIO Blog, we highlighted members of the UWSOM community who volunteer for ACGME Review Committees.  This month, we celebrate the many members of our community who have won ACGME awards for excellence.

As academicians, one of the most incredible aspects or our work is teaching others about our specialties – and about being a better clinician. None of us expect awards for something we are called to do. But, when we are recognized, it is particularly satisfying.

I am proud of our winners and encourage us all to teach each other and continue to learn everyday. It’s the only way a true academic environment can exist.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

The ACGME, which accredits 122 of our 200+ training programs, recognizes notable designated institutional officials, program directors, coordinators, and residents and fellows for their outstanding work and contributions to graduate medical education through its Awards Program.

We’re so pleased to share that Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, Program Director for the Neurosurgery Residency program and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, was recently named a 2023 recipient of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award.  This award honors program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment.   Dr. Ellenbogen has been program director since July 2002.  His nomination for the Parker Palmer award included heartfelt and passionate letters from his colleagues, current and former trainees.  One letter included the following high praise:

“Dr. Ellenbogen’s most cherished quality is his ability to share the most valuable asset of all: his time.  Residents attend Friday evening meetings, complete with a home-cooked meal at his residence for two-way straight talk and airing concerns.  He is omnipresent – he finds time to attend the manifold didactic sessions throughout our four-hospital system.  He is constantly checking in with the residents and aware of the details of their personal lives because he truly cares.”

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) has won more ACGME awards than any of the other 871 ACGME sponsoring institutions.  Over the last 20 years, UWSOM has had 13 program directors win the coveted Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award. This particular award is granted to only 10 program directors around the country per year. It represents an impressive legacy of UWSOM program directors who embody the ACGME definition of the award as leaders “who have fostered innovation and improvement in their residency programs and served as exemplary role models for residents.”

Dr. Richard Shugerman, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Professor, Vice Chair of Faculty Development, Director of Pediatric WWAMI and Regional Education, and 2008 Parker Palmer winner, facilitates annual retreats for ACGME award winners. “It is such an amazing tribute to UWSOM that collectively our residents, our coordinators, our program directors and our administrative leaders have received more of these awards than any other institution in the country.  There are almost 900 accredited GME programs across the country and just 15-20 ACGME awards given in total each year.  It’s incredible to think that the people behind our UW programs have brought home on average one of these awards every year!  The faces of each one of the awardees below brings to mind their remarkable dedication to supporting the humanity of each one of the residents and fellows in their programs.  We are so fortunate to have such committed teachers and leaders in our community.”

	Name	Award	Year	UW Program
	Richard Ellenbogen, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2023	Neurosurgery
See photo at end	Pediatrics Residency Program	Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	2022	Pediatrics
	Fiona Gallahue, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2020	Emergency Medicine
	Daniel E. Leifer, MD	David C. Leach	2020	Dermatology
	Kelli Corning	Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence	2019	Internal Medicine
	Eileen Klein MD, MPH	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2016	Pediatric Emergency Medicine
	Angelisa Paladin, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2014	Diagnostic Radiology
	Sid Gospe Jr, MD, PhD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2013	Child Neurology
	Lisa Anderson	Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence	2013	Hematology/Oncology
	Byron Joyner, MD, MPA	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2011	Urology
	Karen Souter MB BS	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2011	Anesthesiology
	Michelle Rickard	Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence	2011	Pathology
	Ron Maier, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2010	Surgical Critical Care
	Omar Bhutta, MD	David C. Leach	2010	Pediatrics
	Richard Shugerman, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2008	Pediatrics
	Karen Horvath, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2008	General Surgery
	Deb Cowley, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2006	Psychiatry
	Terry Massagli, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2005	PM&R
	Harold Johnston, MD	Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach	2003	Family Medicine

**Did we inadvertently leave you off this list?  Please contact Amanda Easton (amande@uw.edu) and we’ll update!

Pediatric Residency Diversity Committee

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: October

by amande | Oct 3, 2022 | Announcements, News

This month, we’re pleased to feature members of our community who volunteer on ACGME Review Committees.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

The University of Washington School of Medicine is the Sponsoring Institution for over 120 residency and fellowship training programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Within the ACGME, 28 Review Committees are groups of volunteers who set accreditation standards, provide peer evaluation of Sponsoring Institutions or programs to assess the degree to which they comply with the applicable published accreditation requirements, and confer an accreditation status for each Sponsoring Institution or program as to its compliance with those requirements. There are three types of Review Committees: Specialty Review Committee (SRC), Transitional Year Review Committee (TYRC), and Institutional Review Committee (IRC). (ACGME Glossary of Terms, April 15, 2020)

We have always had strong representation from the UW School of Medicine on ACGME Review Committees.  And, for the last 3 years, our DIO, Dr. Joyner, has been an active member of the IRC. In this month’s DIO Blog, we highlight some current and past members who told us about their experiences volunteering on ACGME Review committees.

Why were you interested in participating on an ACGME Review Committee?
As a PD I wanted to understand more about how decisions are made when it comes to accreditation, probation, areas for improvement and I also wanted to have a voice in the future training requirements in pediatrics.  (And the committee consists of a number of pediatric educators that I highly respect and enjoy spending time with).	Heather McPhillips, MD Former Program Director, Pediatrics Professor Pediatrics Review Committee
I wanted to see how it worked and what it was like on the “other side” of running a fellowship program. I thought it would be wonderful to be able to contribute on a national level in GME, and I wanted to be a voice for smaller specialty/subspecialty fellowship programs, which have different resources and ways of functioning compared with a large residency or fellowship program.	Kristen Patton, MD Professor of Medicine, Cardiology-Electrophysiology Internal Medicine Review Committee
I was surprised and honored to be nominated as a Radiology RC member by the American Board of Radiology in recognition of my ABR volunteer work and leadership.  At the time, I was not fully aware of how the ACGME review committees functioned, and after speaking with former RRC members, I saw what a terrific opportunity this would be, to better understand Graduate Medical Education oversight and learn how the leaders in our field make critical decisions for the betterment of our specialty and for patient safety across the country.	Teresa Chapman, MD, MA Former Program Director, Diagnostic Radiology Professor Radiology Review Committee
As a trainee, I wanted to learn more about our graduate medical education system and accreditation. I was fortunate that my former program director, Dr. Zumsteg, not only shared that there were ongoing nominations at the beginning of my training (as a PGY-2), but also supported and recommended me for the position. I was also looking for leadership opportunities at a national level and the ability to represent residents.	Brian M Cervoni Rosario, MD Rehabilitation Medicine Chief Resident PM&R Review Committee

What has your experience been participating on an ACGME Review Committee?
Fantastic, if I had it to do over again, I would definitely volunteer.	Fuki Hisama, MD Program Director, Medical Genetics Residency Medical Director, UW Genetic Medicine Clinic Professor Medical Genetics and Genomics Review Committee
It has been invaluable, particularly in understanding the processes behind determination of accreditation. Learning about the tremendous importance of the ACGME resident survey and site visits has been an eye-opening experience, and I have taken lessons from that to help improve our own program.	Jeff Friedrich, MD, MC Associate Professor, Plastic Surgery Adjunct Associate Professor, Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Plastic Surgery Review Committee
I think the benefits were augmented because I was initially Chair of the ABNS and from that position was elected/chosen for the ACGME RC.  I feel thankful that I understand the two disparate yet overlapping missions, one about the standards for individual neurological surgeons and the tests required, and the other for residency program quality, mentorship, structure and standards. I feel lucky to be involved in both and saw it as a gift and not a duty.	Richard Ellenbogen, MD Chair, Neurological Surgery Program Director, Neurological Surgery Residency Professor
When I was a member of the Urology RC, I had the chance to meet other Urology program directors around the country. I found them to be tremendously dedicated to serving the residents and fellows – and to improving their experiences during their training. Being on the Committee gave me a deeper understanding of how I could improve my own program. Now, as a member of the IRC, I feel as though I am contributing in a substantial way to the education of our future physician workforce.	Byron Joyner, MD, MPA Vice Dean and Designated Institutional Official (DIO) Professor Institutional Review Committee
The experience has been phenomenal. I have had the opportunity to learn from many incredible leaders in my field and in GME. I also had the unique opportunity to participate in a joint ABMS-ACGME symposium representing our field, PM&R, and learn/share ideas regarding the implementation of competency-based medical education. As a trainee, one is also part of the Council of Review Committee Residents which is partly composed of current resident members of the ACGME Board and the Review and Recognition Committees in which I have had the opportunity to discuss trainees’ ideas and concerns that then get presented to the ACGME Board of Directors.	Brian M Cervoni Rosario, MD

What are the benefits of participating in a Review Committee?
1. Makes you a better Program Director  2. Networking with other PDs around the country and getting to work with and know the ACGME professional staff  3. Gain a deep understanding of the ACGME regulations  4. Impact the training of the next generation in your field  5. Trips to Chicago (I love Chicago)  6. RRC dinners (none during Covid however).	Fuki Hisama, MD
Clearer understanding of the needs both of programs and the accrediting entity.  Also, possibility of improving the process mainly for programs.	David Lewis, MD Section Chief, Nuclear Medicine Professor Nuclear Medicine Review Committee
The two-way benefits for improving the learning environment: I bring my experience in program leadership to the national level, and I bring lessons learned from the RRC back to my program, and all benefit.	Jeff Friedrich, MD, MC
Volunteering as a Review Committee member is a lot of work. It requires patience and persistence and many hours of reading and reviewing other programs’ applications of the ACGME requirements to their learning environments. It teaches your that there are many ways to apply the rules.	Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
a) Learn a lot about GME and one’s specialty when it comes to how programs are reviewed and accredited. b) Networking with various leaders in our field. c) Opportunity to voice trainees’ perspectives and concerns which could shape how training requirements. d) Although COVID-dependent, travel to Chicago!	Brian M Cervoni Rosario, MD

Big thanks to our colleagues who contributed to this blog post and we thank them for their service and leadership at the ACGME.  Review Committees have members with expertise in specialty/subspecialty areas or other relevant expertise, resident/fellow members and public members.  If you’re interested in learning more, visit the ACGME’s page on Committee Members and Selection Process.

Thank you,

Cindy and Amanda

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA	Amanda Easton
Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education	Program Manager, Ops & Admin

**Did we inadvertently leave you off this list?  Please contact Amanda Easton (amande@uw.edu) and we’ll update!

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: September

by amande | Sep 9, 2022 | Announcements, News

GME Professionals Day

by nybrady | Aug 19, 2022 | Announcements, News

The Association of Hospital Medical Education (AHME) has designated August 19, 2022 as GME Professionals Day.

GME Professionals Day is an opportunity for ACGME Sponsoring Institutions and Residency and Fellowship programs to celebrate the important contributions made by the GME Professionals who staff their programs and central GME offices. As defined in the ACGME Common Program Requirements (CPRs), program administrators manage the day-to-day operations of the program and serve as an important liaison with learners, faculty, other staff members, as well as the ACGME.  They serve as members of the leadership team, are critical to the success of the program, must possess skills in leadership and personnel management, and are expected to develop unique knowledge of the ACGME and Program Requirements, policies, and procedures. Sponsoring institutions and programs are highly dependent on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes GME professionals possess, and the dedication they exhibit in supporting the learning environment of the institution, their programs, and the success of their trainees.

We in the UW GME Office would like to take this time to recognize the immense dedication of each of you who make up the 110+ ACGME program administrators, dental residency program administrators, non-ACGME program administrators, and numerous additional program staff that support our 200+ training programs. You are key to our success. 

Every year brings new requirements and challenges to navigate.  During the last year you have continued to navigate management of your programs and support of your trainees through COVID-19, felt impacts of staffing challenges across the institution, and found new opportunities to effectively manage your programs. 

We have also welcomed 20 new program administrators to our GME community. Thanks for all that you do!

We recognize this work and realize that it supports the mission of this institution, the education and wellness of our trainees.  Your work does not go unnoticed, and we want to thank you for being such an important part of our GME community.

The UW Graduate Medical Education Office Team

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: August

by amande | Aug 4, 2022 | Announcements, News

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: July

by amande | Jul 6, 2022 | Announcements, News

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.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA, Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official

Jennifer Best, MD, Associate Dean, GME Education & Accreditation

Cindy Hamra, Assistant Dean GME Operations & Administration

Welcome Howard Schafer, New GME Wellness Service Counselor

by amande | Jun 9, 2022 | Announcements, News

Please join us in welcoming Howard Schafer, our new GME Wellness Counselor!  Howard starts with us Monday, June 27.  Howard is a marriage and family therapist, with over 20 years of experience. He has worked in multiple medical settings with a diverse population.  His strong clinical skill set, a sense of compassion, deep respect and commitment to health and wellness will enhance our team and serve our trainees well.  We are thrilled to have him on board! Look for Howard’s schedule to open on Schedulicity soon – more details to follow.

Below is Howard’s welcome message to the GME community:

In the midst of the winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer.
~Camus

A bit about me…

I have been a marriage and family therapist for over two decades, working as a counselor and guide for hundreds of clients over the years. It’s been an honor and privilege to call this my life’s work. But this is just the beginning of my story…

I am inextricably connected to my professional skills, bringing my own life experiences marching from the beat of a different drum. Beginning with an AB degree in Literature and Cross Cultural Communication that took me around the world; to an MA in English Literature; to a college instructor teaching English as a Second Language; then an MS in Psychology and the true start of my avocation. Life has always had its winters but it’s always taken me to the place I needed to be at that time.

This mosaic of experiences has brought to my practice a healthy sense of humor, successes and failures and a respectful reverence for the art and mystery of this work which in turn has fortified my commitment to the health and wellness community. I have worked in multiple medical settings with a diverse population focusing on stress and crisis management, depression, anxiety, grief, mood and eating disorders, in addition to LGBTQ+, academic, and work related issues.

My role as a therapist is as a compassionate ally and guide. My approach provides each individual a safe environment as they rediscover their own language and re-chart or re-author their lives in order to find meaning and balance in a world that sometimes feels out of control.  My solution-focused approach incorporates motivational interviewing, mindfulness and narrative practices.

I believe in the importance of holding hope when things are really bad, and when they continue to get worse. I hold onto the hope that people can change, circumstances can change and despite where you are now, the power of human persistence and perseverance will prevail.

But this isn’t the end of my story…

The beauty of the PNW has been inspirational since we moved here 30 years ago…the forests…the beaches…the green, and, even the rain.

The arts are a big part of my life. As are peaceful trips to the Oregon Coast and hikes in the forest. But the moments that provide the greatest pleasure are having a great conversation with friends over an amazing meal, or just hanging out with my wife and cats (yes, Henri has a sister)…and a dose of daily meditation and exercise doesn’t hurt.

A bit about my assistant Henri…he’s a slow typist and takes a few too many naps. He’s also easily distracted by a seemingly “empty” belly. But he’s an affable chap and a reliable friend and ally.

I am excited to embrace a new path in my life as I join the GME Wellness team. This is an incredible opportunity to help support the UW medical residents, fellows and their partners during this challenging and rewarding time in their career.

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: May

by amande | May 6, 2022 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Nearly a quarter of a Century ago, the Institute of Medicine’s, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System was a call to action that shook the medical community into the realization that we needed to educate our residents and fellows in how to better safeguard patients from harm. Medicine, once a cottage industry, could no longer deny the age of big data and incredible innovation. We needed to learn from commercial aviation and other highly reliable industries, which for years had been delivering faultless services in the face of immense operational complexity. There were standards of quality in these businesses that we could apply to our own business of care.

The UW Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC) is a group of residents and fellows which has, for more than 10 years, been learning about the business of delivering care more consistently and safely to our patients at UW Medicine. The HQSC learns about quality not just in theory but in practice. For example, HQSC members have studied the triumphs and more recent missteps of the Boeing Co., including taking a field trip to its Flight Safety Center, to learn about the indivisible relationship between an organization’s Culture of Safety, the quality of its products, and its financial bottom line.

I am so proud of the Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee, which began more than 10 years ago as a nod to the ACGME’s requirement that all housestaff learn more about—and actually participate in—patient safety and quality improvement experiences during their training. Although a brilliant idea, actualization of this concept has been challenging because the generations of physicians before had not learned the fine skills of quality improvement, the culture of safety.

This month, I’ve invited Drs. Chen Wu, Vickie Hau, and Vince Raikhel, faculty sponsor and co-chairs of HQSC, respectively, to share the incredible work of the HQSC.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

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In spring 2015, after traveling four billion miles across deep space, the New Horizons spacecraft approached the planetoid Pluto at the outer fringes of our solar system for a cosmic rendezvous 10 years in the making.

In spring 2022, Dr. Bonnie Buratti, senior planetary scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a key figure behind the New Horizons mission—who has a bona fide asteroid 90502 Buratti named after her—spoke to members of the UW Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee (HQSC) about the extraordinary lengths to which NASA engineers go to ensure the safe transit of these extremely fragile, highly complex, astronomically expensive spacecraft. It was a topical lesson in proactive risk assessment and mitigation, one of the cornerstones of High Reliability Organizations which are distinguished by their complicated operations and failure rate far below statistical expectations (think commercial aviation, not the present state of U.S. healthcare).

Dr. Buratti’s talk was just one of many activities organized and curated by the HQSC to introduce core patient safety and quality improvement (QI) concepts to the GME community, inclusive of residents, fellows, and program faculty. Having recently notched its own 10-year milestone, the HQSC is busy at work improving existing offerings and gestating novel pathways for trainees to engage in this important domain. Current noteworthy programs include:

• The annual HOUSE journal meant to serve as a portable showcase of trainee-involved improvement projects; check out the latest edition and archived volumes here

• A generous project grant funding mechanism supported by Dr. Aalap Shah, an HQSC alumnus now practicing in southern California, that you can check out here alongside a portfolio of earlier projects involving HQSC members

• The SQuIRREL (Subcommittee on QI Event Reporting & Resident-Engaged Learning) program where trainee-submitted patient safety reports are reviewed in front of Harborview and UW Medical Center patient safety officers

 

Keep an eye out for monthly announcements and join a session to gain insights and get closure on a patient safety incident that you reported. You might even earn free coffee along the way. 😉

 

In addition to constantly tweaking these programs in response to feedback and measured performance (hey, we walk the QI walk as much as we talk the QI talk!), the HQSC hopes to expand its portfolio of experiences to better serve training programs, large and small, in teaching QI concepts and surpassing important accreditation requirements. We also recognize the immense wealth of talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive that resides within our GME community and hope to both nurture and harness these instincts for system improvement.

Ideas that we’re actively exploring include a streamlined, standardized pathway for QI manuscripts married to coaching support from project inception through publication; resumption of field trips to non-healthcare role models such as Alaska Airlines and the U.S. Army; and investigation of public-private coalitions to tackle health outcome determinants that reside outside the walls of our training hospitals.

A few of these ideas are in early prototype stages while others remain only conceptual. Propelled by the excitement of our residents and fellows and the support of their sponsoring programs, however, we’re confident that these ambitions can be realized. Big opportunities require bold vision, and as President Kennedy once reminded us at the start of the Space Age, bold visions are worth pursuing.

If this vision is one that you share, then please consider joining the HQSC if you are a resident or fellow or contacting us at uwhqsc@uw.edu if you are a faculty member, program director, or departmental leader interested in collaboration. HQSC is proud to have worked with UW Orthopaedics in the past to co-develop QI Match, a unique site meant to connect QI project leads to enthusiastic trainees, that recently went live with backing from the UW Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality & Safety.

Check out QI Match if you’re interested in posting or joining a project! And reach out to us if you’re at all curious about how HQSC could fit into your training program’s educational strategy. Let’s start a conversation about how we, together, can seek out our own New Horizons.

.
Vickie Hau, MD
(Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine)
Co-chair
UW Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee

 
Vince Raikhel, MD
(Internal Medicine)
Co-chair
UW Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee

 
Chen Wu, MD
Faculty Director
UW Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee

Dr. Joyner’s Blog April: Match Results – Together We Succeed

by amande | Apr 8, 2022 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

This month, we celebrate our incoming class of 2022-2023! Our National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) was a success, again this year, for University of Washington GME programs. The 83 residency and fellowship programs that participated in the NRMP matched physicians from around the country at percentages above the national average.  We also matched many of our own medical students and residents into UWSOM residency and fellowship programs. We did this by working together, being innovative and believing in our great community. 

• In the Main Match, the 26 participating UW residency programs had a match rate of 97% compared to 94% nationally.  
• For the Specialties Match, the 57 participating UW fellowship programs had a match rate of 94% compared to the national average of 88%.  
• UWSOM fellowship programs offered 173 spots, 40 of which were filled by UW residents, continuing an encouraging 3-year trend. 
• Once again, this year the Main Residency Match was the “largest Match on record,” with over 39,000 positions available. But, for the first time in years, there was a slight decrease in the number of registered applicants (47,675; down 2.1%) and a very slight increase in those who submitted rank order lists (0.1%).  
• Though the total number of allopathic and osteopathic medical school seniors increased from last year, the total number of US and non-US citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) decreased in both the Main and Specialties Matches. 

In this year’s Match, based on self-reported data, UWSOM saw an increase in both Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) candidates who matched in both our medical and dental programs. In fact, the last three years has seen an encouraging upward trend in Black and African American matriculants to our programs. As we work together to increase and, more importantly, sustain inclusivity and diversity in our workforce, we can continue to provide better equity of patient care in our community. 

I want to congratulate our program leadership, the residents and fellows, as well as the Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) for their tremendous efforts in our journey to diversify our learning community. Below is this year’s representation of BIPOC, URM and women who have historically been minoritized in Medicine, as reported by our clinical department chairs. 

These past two years have been difficult, but the University of Washington continues to have strong match results and we remain a competitive training institution, as reflected by the 5-year trend below: 

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many things, one of which is we do well when we work together. In 2021, we worked together to recruit the next group of trainees who will be a part of our learning communities in Seattle and the WWAMI region. For the second year, the GME Office and NURF hosted Town Halls to help our programs attract underrepresented and vulnerable minority candidates. This year, one of our NURF Town Halls had more than 600 participants, curious to know what it is like to train in the UW community. 

All members of our community, including the clinical chairs, residents and fellows, program directors and administrators, faculty and staff, worked together to produce these excellent results. Especially during these challenging times, it is critical that we cultivate an environment where everyone feels safe and as though they belong, an environment in which everyone can be successful. 

Congratulations and thank you!   

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: March

by nathangl | Mar 9, 2022 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

In Seattle, the sun is beginning shine and the number of people getting sick from COVID-19 is declining. As spring approaches, I want to thank the many heroes in our community: all of the residents and fellows; the faculty and nurses; the staff and leaders – all of you who worked countless hours on behalf of our patients and their families.

In the long shadow of COVID-19, we learned a lot of things. We learned that the unknown can be daunting, especially in the face of social conflagration. We learned that teamwork makes the work easier. We also learned the magic – and the monotony – of Zoom, and how it accelerated the care of our patients and of each other.

Our residents and fellows play an important role in caring for our patients at UW Medicine and they continue to be vital in all that we do. We value their work and their commitment to our community. In spite of the unknown that the pandemic wrought and the challenges of communicating hardships of death, we learned that we are resilient. You did that.

I am conscious of the sacrifices you have made during the last two years with your education and your patients. Our hope is to continue to find ways to support and partner with you in building a healthy work environment that continues to support you in the best way possible.

While showing appreciation for each other is something we can all do year round, I want to especially acknowledge all of you now. I am proud to recognize your efforts and your patience.

The mask mandate will be relaxed earlier than we had anticipated. We will be able to face each other and see the faces of others. It will be a welcomed relief for many and a sign that we are trying to get back to normal – albeit a new normal.

On behalf of the entire GME Team, I would like to thank you for your care of our patients and acknowledge how challenging the last two years have been for you as healthcare professionals. Thank you.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO