Residency

Welcome

A group of residents line up and smile

Our unique multi-site residency training program provides robust clinical and surgical experience to train well-rounded, highly competent specialists in OB GYN. Our fully accredited, academically rigorous 4-year training program equips residents for independent practice.

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Overview

Our graduates go on to have fulfilling careers, and many become leaders and educators in their community and clinical practices, academics or research, or their chosen subspecialty fields. We are proud of our trainees – they are intellectually curious, motivated, skillful, and compassionate physicians. 

Notable characteristics of the program include our diverse clinical sites with high acuity and surgical volume. Close partnerships between the University of Washington and affiliate hospitals offers excellent breadth and depth for clinical training. Clinical sites include Seattle's county hospital and trauma center, a Veterans administration and Children's Hospital, community hospitals in rural and urban settings, and our tertiary care center at the University of Washington Montlake campus. Other key qualities of our program include longitudinal mentorship with faculty educators, clinicians, and researchers, an innovative simulation curriculum, and robust didactic sessions and research curriculum. We also have a unique R38 StARR program to train residents to become physician-scientists. Our department is passionate about excellence in patient-centered care, scholarship and advocacy in women’s health, and reducing disparities for vulnerable populations.

Porshia Underwood, MD

Porshia Underwood, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor and OB/GYN Residency Program Director

Our commitment to diversity

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington is committed to an inclusive environment and to reducing inequities in patient care through education, research, leadership and excellence in clinical care. We strongly believe that diversity enriches training, scientific discovery and promotes the best healthcare.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to deliver exceptional, patient-centered care while preparing our residents for success both in generalist practice and advanced fellowship training. Through our rigorous curriculum and a supportive environment, we strive to empower our residents to achieve their full potential and make impactful contributions to the field of obstetrics and gynecology.

Program Overview

  • Fully accredited by the ACGME (2010) for 7 categorical positions per year
  • R38 StaRR program to train physician-scientists
  • Well established, ACGME accredited fellowships in Gynecologic Oncology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Complex Family Planning, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
  • Robust academic department with 100+ clinical and research faculty, within the divisions of Gynecologic Oncology, Urogynecology, Complex Family Planning, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Women’s Health
  • Residency education and mentoring provided by a team of university based and community faculty
    • Teaching faculty at UW Medical Center (UWMC), a tertiary center serving a 5-state referral region, Harborview Medical Center (HMC), level 1 trauma center and burn unit, UW Northwest, Veterans Administration, and Seattle Children’s Hospital 
    • Volunteer teaching faculty at Swedish First Hill (Gynecologic Oncology, MIGs and MFM providers), Virginia Mason Seattle (MIGs faculty and fellows), and Yakima Memorial (Farm Workers Clinic and Generations generalist faculty) 

Educational Offerings

  • Focused PGY1 orientation with longitudinal “Intern bootcamp” curriculum
  • Structured mentoring with resident and faculty “families” as well as class mentors
  • Protected weekly education time including Grand rounds, M&M and health equity quality conferences, “strip rounds”, administrative and research time, and didactics sessions
  • Research curriculum with required resident research project presented in PGY4 year (clinical, quality, or education research projects)
  • Formalized health equity curriculum, with complex family planning training including abortion care
  • Excellent, in-depth surgical skills curriculum. FLS training. Access to high fidelity simulation center (WISH), include OB simulation drills for OB emergencies (eclampsia, hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia)
  • Global health certificate program
  • Growing midwife complement at UWMC