In this issue:
- Non-Clinical Electives Are Open for Registration
- Innovations in Curriculum Design and Delivery Workgroup
- ICYMI: Applications Open: MedStAR Program 2026 Cohort
- Career Advising Tip of the Month
Non-Clinical Electives Are Open for Registration
Non-Clinical Electives (NCEs) are available now for Registration! Please register before the deadline on Wednesday, September 24, 2025!
Please visit the following webpages to view the electives offered at your site:
For Seattle students
For Spokane, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho students
Important points to keep in mind:
- Students register for electives just as they do for required blocks, so you must follow the UW registration deadlines (See the UW Academic Calendar for details).
- Wednesday, September 24 is when the late registration fee ($25) begins.
- Electives are optional and always secondary to required coursework. Required sessions and exams take priority. With prior approval, some electives may allow students to miss a limited session if there is a conflict with required coursework. However, no exam may ever be missed for elective participation—exams always take precedence.
- Electives do not always run on the same schedule as medical school classes. Please double-check the dates and times, including final exam times, start and end quarter dates, etc.
- If you register for the course and do not participate, you will receive an NC grade. Please drop the course if you are not planning to attend.
To find out more information about registration deadlines, late course changes/adds/drops etc. for NCEs, please visit the Non-Clinical Elective Registration webpage.
Call for Applications: Innovations in Curriculum Design and Delivery (ICDD) Workgroup
The Innovations in Curriculum Design and Delivery (ICDD) Workgroup is entering its fourth year and is inviting MS1 students to apply as student representatives. ICDD brings together faculty, staff, and students from all sites to enhance the Foundations Phase curriculum through innovation, engagement, and best practices. This year, members will continue to help oversee the implementation of curricular improvements while also being invited to serve as Innovation Incubator Consultants and participate in virtual Guest Presentations, providing feedback on curriculum ideas and learning from external speakers.
Interested students should contact their Foundations Site Dean by Friday, September 12.
Learn more about the ICDD and who to contact
ICYMI: Applications Open: MedStAR Program 2026 Cohort
MS1s are invited to apply to the Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program. This National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded program allows students to meet their Independent Investigative Inquiry (III) requirement while receiving long-term mentorship in Addiction Medicine research and clinical training. Participants benefit from faculty guidance, networking opportunities, and support to present and publish their work.
Applications are due September 17 at 11:59 PM PT.
Career Advising Student Advisory Board Tip of the Month
This advice is for all students and includes first-generation and BIPOC student lenses.
Congratulations on finishing your first block! You may have been thinking about getting involved in shadowing, research, and interest groups. Take your time choosing so you don’t overcommit. Prioritize preparing for the Infections & Immunity (I&I) block. Just as before, it will be a lot of content very quickly. The micro section of Sketchy is going to be a very valuable resource. Try to map out which videos you will need to watch daily or weekly.
Some students start exploring non-clinical electives and pathway programs. These educational opportunities can be a great way to gain a well-rounded medical education.
- Reviewed by MS4 Cara Chapman. Originally written by alum Shanelle Briggs, MD.
We welcome tips and ideas from all students. Please reach out to Career Advising at medadv@uw.edu.
This link will take you to past information for MS1s.