In this issue:
- Patient Care Phase Compliance Requirement: Review Policies and Submit Form by December 15
- Non-Clinical Electives Are Open for Registration
- Call for Participants: Mapping Resource Engagement in the Anatomy & Embryology Thread at UWSOM
- ICYMI: AOA Research Fellowship Opportunity
- Career Advising Tip of the Month
Patient Care Phase Compliance Requirement: Review Policies and Submit Form by December 15
For all students entering or continuing their Patient Care Chase in AY 2026-27, please complete the following by December 15, 2025:
- Review the Technical Standards Policy
- Review the UW Medicine Policy on Professional Conduct
- Submit the Acknowledgment of Review Form
You first completed this form during your secondary application. Student Affairs is asking you to sign again to ensure you’re aware of these expectations as you move into clinical training.
Disability Accommodations
If you have a disability—or have developed one since starting medical school—please contact UW Disability Resources for Students (DRS) to request or update accommodations needed for your clinical training.
Have questions or need support? Email adminsa@uw.edu or contact UW Disability Resources for Students (DRS) at uwdrs@uw.edu.
Non-Clinical Electives Are Open for Registration
Non-Clinical Electives (NCEs) are available now for Registration! Please register before the deadline on Monday, January 5, 2026!
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).
- Monday, January 5, 2026, 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 Participants: Mapping Resource Engagement in the Anatomy & Embryology Thread at UWSOM
The purpose of this five-minute survey is to get detailed information about your use of the A&E resources presented throughout the Foundations phase. This info will be used to guide future improvements and provide MS1’s with a roadmap to help them navigate these resources.
Participants will not be offered compensation or incentives.
AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship
The UW AOA chapter invites you to apply for the 2026 AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. UW AOA will be nominating one student from UWSOM-WWAMI to represent the UW chapter at the national selection. The award includes a $7,000 scholarship to support your research, to be conducted over a 2-12-month period (minimum of 240 hours). The research should focus on clinical investigation, basic laboratory research, epidemiology, social science/health services research, leadership, or professionalism.
This opportunity is open to first- and second-year students who do not already have and are not pursuing a PhD. You do not need to be a member of AOA to apply, and the opportunity is open to students at all WWAMI sites. Additional information, including a list of required application components, can be found here.
All application materials must be submitted via email to the members listed below by 11:59 PM PST on December 21, 2025.
Cheri Chambers [cheriliu@uw.edu]
Miranda Li [mli62@uw.edu]
Brian Riley [briley1@uw.edu]
Crystal Tam [crysjt8@uw.edu]
Career Advising Board Tip of the Month
This advice is for all MS2 students and includes first generation and BIPOC student lenses.
Studying for Step 1 can feel discouraging at times and very stressful. Here are some tips on maintaining wellness through your dedicated period:
- Remember why you are taking this test – reconnect with your ‘Why’ for being in medicine.
- Take one day off a week and do something fun! It’s helpful to go somewhere that is not your home/study space.
- Try restarting a hobby or visiting with friends once a week.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule and incorporate group exercises throughout your week.
- If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or your scores aren’t improving, etc., meet with your academic learning specialist to re-evaluate your study plan.
There is no perfect study plan, and you’ll have to be adaptable and keep an open mind. Remember that scoring low is very common and not unexpected when starting your dedicated period. Keep going! You got this!
Reviewed by MS4 Cara Chapman. Originally written by alum Shanelle Briggs, MD.
Career Advising welcomes tips and ideas from all students. Please reach out to Career Advising at medadv@uw.edu.
This link takes you to past information for MS2s.