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The goal of our program is to train well-rounded pediatricians who graduate feeling empowered to better the lives of children and their families. There are approximately 45 residents per class, comprised of 31 categorical residents and the remaining 14 in our specialized tracks or dual-specialty programs. Although we are one of the larger pediatric training programs, it doesn’t feel big. Residents in all tracks are firmly integrated within the categorical program and are a part of the larger family of the pediatric residency program.
We foster an inclusive and supportive environment where residents get to know each other well. Starting in the 2025-2026 Academic Year, our program will be transitioning to X+Y to both meet the new ACGME requirements and promote resident wellness and education.
Systemic racism is a crisis that impacts our patients and community every day. As pediatricians, it is our responsibility to uphold the values of justice, inclusion, and equity.
Our pediatric residency at the University of Washington /Seattle Children’s Hospital is committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that values underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMs), including members of our community who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, queer, asexual, questioning and allies (LGBTQIA+).
From large academic centers to community clinics, our residents get trained in a variety of urban and rural clinical settings to serve the needs of children in our large and diverse catchment area.
Seattle Children's Hospital is the only stand-alone children's hospital in the greater Seattle area. As the main clinical training site for pediatric residents, this 407-licensed-bed hospital is conveniently located 1.5 miles from the University of Washington campus. Seattle Children's serves as a community hospital for children in Seattle as well as the primary pediatric referral center for children throughout Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (the WWAMI region).
Pediatric residents rotating at Seattle Children's learn to care for children hospitalized with an exceptionally wide variety of childhood diseases, ranging from everyday pediatric illnesses to highly unusual conditions. See more facts and figures on Seattle Children's Hospital.
Located on the University of Washington campus, the University of Washington Medical Center is one of two primary teaching hospitals for the UW School of Medicine.
Pediatric residents rotate through the mother and baby unit and neonatal intensive care unit at University Hospital's Maternity and Infant Care Center. This center provides routine obstetrics and neonatal care, but also serves as the regional center for high-risk obstetrics and neonatal pediatrics.
Founded in 1877, Harborview Medical Center is located in the heart of downtown Seattle and is one of two primary teaching hospitals for the University of Washington. Harborview is the only Level I trauma center in the entire five-state region, as well as a major referral center for burns, orthopedics and neurosurgery.
Pediatric residents rotate through Harborview for two to four months during their second and third years of training in the pediatric trauma, burn, and PICU units. Some residents also have weekly continuity clinic at this site, which is the medical home to a diverse urban population of children, including immigrants from many countries.
The continuity clinic experience offers residents the opportunity to provide longitudinal care to children throughout their three years of training. Our community clinics give residents the ability to cultivate relationships within the diverse communities of Seattle.
The clinic sites are as varied as our residents' interests, with each offering unique opportunities and perspectives. We believe you will find a continuity clinic site to nurture whatever your unique interests and goals may be as a pediatrician. Our continuity clinic schedule will change with the transition to X+Y starting the 2025-2026 academic year. More details to come!
Commonly referred to as the “WWAMI experience,” rural community training sites in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho have been a unique part of medical education at the University of Washington School of Medicine since 1971.
As R2s, residents spend two months at one of six WWAMI practice sites, learning from community pediatricians about primary care in a rural setting. These practices are in Port Angeles, Yakima and Bellingham, Washington; Billings, Montana; and Pocatello, Idaho.
Because of the impressive size of the WWAMI region, primary care pediatricians are widely dispersed, often in sparsely populated areas that do not have easy access to subspecialty pediatric consultative services. In addition to their primary care responsibilities, these physicians must frequently provide emergency stabilization and hospitalization of sick children and facilitate occasional transport of children to tertiary centers such as Seattle Children's Hospital.
As an integrated member of a rural clinic, residents have an opportunity to work with these experienced physicians in managing simple to medically complex pediatric patients. Residents may also work with community pediatric hospitalists in local hospitals.
Learn more about the WWAMI experience.
Pediatric fellows in multiple subspecialties are an important part of our educational model, providing excellent teaching opportunities without compromising resident autonomy. We also work with residents in family medicine, psychiatry, and anesthesiology who are doing pediatric-specific rotations in the wards, ED, and PICU. Additionally, Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellows are an integral part of our resident-led wards teams. These interdisciplinary trainees bring a diverse and well-rounded perspective to patient care and make the learning environment dynamic and team oriented.
We also work alongside and learn from diverse interdisciplinary colleagues daily; this includes but is not limited to nurses, respiratory therapists, child life specialists, pharmacists, dietitians, physical therapists, and speech language pathologists. One of the most unique teams at Seattle Children’s is the Cultural Navigator team, which helps patients and their families overcome language, health literacy, financial, and cultural barriers to advocate and improve healthcare delivery and outcomes.
At UW/Seattle Children’s, we believe that advocating for children’s health is one of the foundational cornerstones to building a productive pediatric career. In addition to the resident-led Advocacy Council, residents and faculty are involved in many different projects that promote child health at the community, state, and national level.
Categorical residents interested in structured community advocacy and integrating public health into their training are encouraged to apply to the REACH Pathway.
These residents develop meaningful relationships with providers and communities in Toppenish, Washington or Kisii, Kenya.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the main advocacy organization for pediatricians in the country. Four representatives from every class (three from categorical and one from the Alaska Track) are chosen by their peers each year to participate in local, regional and national AAP advocacy work. Second-year representatives are involved in organizing a resident advocacy campaign as selected by the Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees at each year’s AAP National Conference.
Throughout residency, representatives serve as experts on Washington state legislative issues and lead advocacy efforts within our residency program. Efforts culminate during an Advocacy Day in February where residents partner with faculty AAP members and speak to state legislators directly.
Pediatricians for Climate Action is a group started by our residents and dedicated to raising awareness of the impacts of climate change on children’s health. Our work includes research, education, and legislative advocacy.
Current projects include:
Each August, Stanley Stamm Summer Camp gives children with serious illnesses the chance to go fishing, ride horses and take part in other activities typical of summer camp at a week-long sleepover camp near Mt. Rainier.
Our camp, founded by Seattle Children’s first pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Stanley Stamm, includes medical support so that children who are unable to attend other camps can join in the fun.
Residents are invited and encouraged to attend as camp counselors and volunteers, and many return year after year.