uw school of medicine curriculum

first year

First-year courses are taken at WSU Spokane and are the same as those offered at the UW School of Medicine. (Click here for course descriptions) Besides their classroom work, students are also assigned medical preceptors and get some work in clinical settings.

Microscopic Anatomy (Histology)
Anatomy and Embryology
Mechanisms in Cellular Physiology
Introduction to Clinical Medicine
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Clinical Preceptorship
Medical Information for Decision Making
Introduction to Immunology
Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Systems of Human Behavior
Musculoskeletal System (Anatomy of Extremities)
Nervous System

second year

Students from all WWAMI sites take their second-year classes at the University of Washington at Seattle.

Autumn quarter

Intro to Clinical Medicine
Cardiovascular System
Respiratory System
Principles of Pharmacology I
Endocrine System
Systemic Pathology
Genetics
Skin System

Winter quarter

Intro to Clinical Medicine
Gastrointestinal System
Hematology
Musculoskeletal System
Medicine, Health & Society
Epidemiology

Spring quarter

Intro to Clinical Medicine
Urinary System
Systems of Human Behavior II
Principles of Pharmacology II
Reproduction
Nutrition for Physicians

third & fourth years

At the conclusion of the first two years, students enter the predominantly clinical phase of their education. During this phase, students have the opportunity to receive training at UW School of Medicine training sites in Seattle as well as numerous clinical sites in both rural and urban locations throughout the five-state WWAMI region.

Students in Washington can select from multiple locations including sites in eastern and central Washington. New clerkship sites are continually being developed.

Some students train within the Spokane medical community, where they will complete, at minimum, five of the six required third-year clerkships. That allows them to live and train in one place for the entire year. Students can also complete all of their fourth-year required clerkships in Spokane.

But they also have options to work in rural areas as well, including the WRITE (WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience) program.

WRITE is designed to give selected third-year medical students an appropriate mix of ambulatory and hospital experience during 20 weeks of clinical work at a rural primary care teaching site. During their time, students will fulfill their Family Medicine requirement and part of their Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry clerkship requirements.

Required and elective clerkships are available at multiple locations throughout the five-state WWAMI region. For information about specific state offerings see UWSOM third-year curriculum.

For more information, visit the UW School of Medicine curriculum Web site.

Dr. George Novan talks about first year clinical practice:

If you want to see a larger version of this video, click here.

Dr. George Novan on third-year clerkships: