University of Washington Support Services

Disability Resources for Students
The University of Washington’s Disability Resources for Students (DRS) partners with accepted and matriculated students with disabilities to identify and establish accommodations that will support their success in the medical school program. This resource is available to all medical students regardless of physical location.

Process for Requesting and Receiving Accommodations
If a student has a disability or manifests a disability after matriculation that raises questions related to their ability to meet the School of Medicine’s Technical Standards, the matter will be referred to the associate dean for student affairs who will consult with DRS in assessing if the student can meet the medical school program requirements with reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodations are designed to effectively meet disability-related needs of qualified students, while not fundamentally altering essential elements of the program, creating an undue burden for the University, or providing new programming for students with disabilities not available to all medical students. The School is responsible for the implementation of approved DRS accommodations.

Accommodations for the United States Medical Licensing Examinations
Students who require accommodations for the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) Step 1 and/or Step 2 –CK exams must submit a separate accommodations request to the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The accommodations approval process for the USMLE Step exams is managed by the NBME and not by the University of Washington. The NBME may require additional documentation than what is required by the University of Washington, so students need to review the NBME requirements carefully and begin the request process early.

University Ombud
The Office of the Ombud is a confidential, neutral resource, where students, faculty, and staff can seek information, consultation, and assistance for any professional challenges they are facing at the University of Washington. This resource is available to all medical students regardless of their physical location. 

University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office
The University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO) is responsible for investigating complaints that a UW employee has violated the University’s non-discrimination and/or non-retaliation policies. A UCIRO investigation may be requested either by an individual or by the administrative head of a UW organization.

Title IX
The University Title IX office is responsible for facilitating the University’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance. Sexual harassment of students, which includes acts of sexual violence or sexual assault, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX. Retaliation against those who raise complaints or participate in the complaint investigation and resolution process is also prohibited.