UWSOM Foundations Curriculum

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Welcome to the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Foundations Phase Curriculum Website. The Foundations Phase is the first of three phases in the UWSOM, which begins with the students spending 2-3 weeks in Immersion. The goal of Immersion is to prepare students for the Foundation Phase of the curriculum by focusing on clinical skills practice, such as the essentials of physical exams and medical history. The rest of the Foundation Phase is divided into seven blocks across three terms. Students have no more than four hours a day, four days a week, of contact time in the blocks, either in lecture and/or small group sessions. The fifth day of the week is saved for the longitudinal Foundations of Clinical Medicine course which spans the entire Foundations Phase. This course has the students spending one day every other week in a primary care office and the alternate week learning more in-depth clinical skills. Though the UWSOM is a regional medical school, the curriculum is educationally equivalent at all of the WWAMI sites. Common teaching materials, syllabi, and examinations are congruent at all sites and given to ensure that all students are achieving the same level of competence. Most courses utilize computer-based information, and almost all communication with students outside of the classroom is through our Web pages and email. Thus, there is a requirement for all students to have a laptop computer with wireless capability.

Curricular Requirements

The awarding of the Doctor of Medicine degree is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all curricular requirements and academic and professional conduct requirements.

Curriculum Visuals by Entering Cohort