Commitment to Healthcare Equity
Committed to an inclusive community.
The medical field is in critical need of diversity in people, ideas and skill sets if we are to address the health disparities within the WWAMI region and beyond. The University of Washington
School of Medicine serves a culturally, racially, and socio-economically diverse region of western states and Alaska. We consider diversity of students, staff, and faculty to be a fundamental element of our success, and we support diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our mission and practice. Admissions' goal is to select an inclusive student body from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to enrich classroom discussions, foster creative thinking, and prepare our graduates to serve the health needs of all communities in our region. Each applicant is evaluated considering our mission, and we encourage all interested students, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, to apply.
Our intention is to create a community that encourages participation and connection, and values each individual's unique contributions regardless of socioeconomic status, race, culture, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, spiritual practice, geography, disability, mental and physical status or age.
Read our policy for promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive school of medicine.
Committed to a collaborative learning culture.
Both the UW School of Medicine and the UW as an institution are committed to fostering a collaborative, diverse learning community. To this end, former UW President Ana Mari Cauce launched The Race and Equity Initiative in 2015 to challenge the UW administration and student body to take personal responsibility for individual bias and institutional racism present within the University. In May 2016, the former Dean of the UW School of Medicine/CEO of UW Medicine, Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, agreed to launch a concurrent Race, Equity and Justice Initiative specific to the School of Medicine: an initiative framed in the historical injustices committed against marginalized peoples and grounded in accountability and inclusion The goal of the initiative is to create a culture at the UW School of Medicine that acknowledges the histories and experiences of people of color, teaches about health inequities and social determinants of health, and, most of all, enables all groups, including marginalized groups, to thrive at the institution. Current programs within this initiative include:
- Mandatory anti-racism training for all faculty and staff at the UW School of Medicine
- Racial or ethnic communities underrepresented in medicine
- The LGBTQIA+ community
- Those persevering against economic disadvantage, or personal or social hardships
- Students who have lived in a foreign country and/or have spoken a language other than English at home
- Those with career goals, employment history and educational background (including graduate study) demonstrating a commitment to public service
- Students with evidence of, and potential for, leadership (demonstrated by extracurricular activities, broad interests and life experiences)
- School, civic or community service achievements
- Special talents (e.g.,: performance artist, poet, long distance runner, etc.)
- Geographic diversity
- Students with unique life experiences
Curriculum and service learning.
As part of the medical student curriculum, there are optional educational pathways concerned with better understanding and service to underserved communities, including Black Justice, Global, Hispanic, Indian, LGBTQIA+, and Underserved Health. These pathways are open to all students with an interest in providing care to these communities. Our medical students also engage in numerous service-learning opportunities and student-run clinics as well and work with many of the undergraduate programs on the UW campus.