Dear Future Family Physician,
Welcome to the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency! You have worked incredibly hard to reach this moment, and we are honored that you are considering our program. Applying to residency is an exciting step toward the meaningful career you are building, and we look forward to getting to know you, hearing your story, and sharing what makes UW Family Medicine a special place to learn, grow, and lead.
Our mission is to train and empower the next generation of family medicine leaders and educators to provide broad-spectrum, team-based care in diverse communities and practice settings. As part of UW Medicine and the UW Family Medicine Residency Network, our residents benefit from an extraordinary range of clinical sites, academic resources, and community partnerships across the WWAMI region. This regional reach offers meaningful exposure to both urban and rural care environments and prepares residents to serve patients and communities across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Global health electives are also available, with experiences in sites such as Vietnam and Kenya.
UW Family Medicine offers rigorous, full-spectrum training designed to support a wide range of interests and career goals. Residents complete intensive care experiences at UW Medical Center Montlake and the Seattle VA Hospital, hospitalist medicine training at Harborview Medical Center, and inpatient pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital. A major highlight is our resident-led inpatient family medicine service at UW Medical Center Northwest, where residents care for hospitalized adults, deliver babies, manage newborn care, provide addiction medicine consultation for the obstetrics service, and offer primary care consultation for long-term inpatient behavioral health services.
Our program is also distinguished by robust behavioral health training and collaboration, supported by a large, deeply integrated behavioral health team. For residents interested in scholarship and academic development, our Research Track provides structured mentorship, skill-building, and opportunities to pursue meaningful inquiry that can shape the future of family medicine.
Our graduates reflect the breadth and possibility of family medicine. They have become rural physicians, hospitalists, clinic and hospital medical directors, residency program directors, NIH-level researchers, leaders in reproductive health justice, the Chief Health and Science Officer for the American Medical Association, and the team physician for the Seattle Seahawks. Their paths demonstrate how UW Family Medicine prepares residents to lead across clinical care, education, research, advocacy, policy, and health systems.
We are excited to learn more about your journey and to share how UW Family Medicine can help you reach your goals.
Sincerely,
Joseph Nelson, MD
Residency Program Director