In this issue:
- Requesting Religious Accommodations
- ICYMI: Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) Applications Are Open
- ICYMI: EQISP Committee Applications Are Still Open
- Career Advising Tip of the Month
Requesting Religious Accommodations
UW has a policy that allows students to request religious accommodations. You can find the details on the Office of the Registrar’s Religious Accommodations page.
Ramadan is upcoming and will be observed from February 17 to March 19, which overlaps with the CVS and MHS I courses. If you would like to request accommodations, please submit your request using the online form found in the above link. The online form for Winter Quarter will be open from December 16, 2025, through January 16, 2026.
In the past, students observing Ramadan were given the option to attend CVS small group sessions remotely via zoom and/or complete Themes sessions / MHS I asynchronously with make-up work. If you need accommodations for both CVS and MHS I, please complete a separate form for each course.
Submitting your request by the January 16 deadline will help UWSOM plan and support your learning effectively. If you have questions or need guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) Applications Are Open
Happy December from the Office of Rural Programs! We wanted to remind you that the Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) application for the upcoming summer is now open. If you have questions about the program, you can watch the Info Session recordings on the Triple I Canvas page, or you can reach out to us at somrural@uw.edu – we hope to have you join us this summer for a valuable clinical and community medicine experience!
Links:
- General RUOP Application (non-TRUST students)
- TRUST RUOP Application (TRUST students only)
Applications Are Still Open for the EQI Strategic Planning Committee
The Educational Quality Improvement Strategic Planning (EQISP) Committee is recruiting two first-year students to serve as members of the committee.
The EQISP Committee is charged with ensuring that UWSOM meets its educational goals for medical student programs and achieves excellence and innovation in our learning programs. This translates to tracking metrics to meet our strategic plan goals, and monitoring accreditation standards and areas in need of improvement, providing guidance and recommendations to school leadership on improvements to our programs.
Service on the EQISP Committee requires a commitment to the advancement of medical education and an interest in and commitment to continuous quality improvement. This is an excellent opportunity to have a voice and make an impact on the school.
Learn more and apply by December 31, 2025
Career Advising Student Advisory Board Tip of the Month
This advice is for all MS1 students and includes first generation and BIPOC student lenses.
Winter break is a great time for early specialty exploration! Did you get a chance to take the specialty assessment we suggested last month? If so, now you can check out the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) Specialty Profiles and view the five most frequently encountered conditions for each specialty.
To explore specialties further, go to Career Advising’s Explore Your Career page. From here, you can access more resources and advice. This information will be super helpful when Career Advisors begin meeting with your class starting in January!
Winter break is also a great time to start building a CV for school projects, programs, and professional connections. Career Advising has a CV webpage for instructions, a three-part CV video series, and a really useful CV template.
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 will take you to past information for MS1s.