SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Track, Olympia LIC, WRITE
Medical students at the UW School of Medicine may choose from one of four approaches to their third-year clinical rotations. Students are defaulted into the WWAMI Experience or have the opportunity to apply for Special Programs. Special Programs include the Olympia Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship, the Track Program, and the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience. All Special Programs have a required application process for any interested students. See below for additional information on all rotation experiences.
Interested in learning more about the transition into the Clinical Phases?
- Transition to Clerkships 2025 WEBINAR and PRESENTATION SLIDES (This webinar has helpful information about what you expect when you enter your Patient Care Phase, and the various program options for your rotations).
About 75 percent of Patient Care Phase students participate in the general clinical schedule, called the WWAMI Experience. Students rank their preferences and are scheduled to block clerkships via a complex ranking process by the SOM Registrar, allowing students the opportunity to schedule all of their Required Patient Care Clerkships across the five-state WWAMI region. Students are defaulted into the WWAMI Experience if they do not apply to/are not accepted into a Special Program. Students in the WWAMI Experience are expected to travel throughout the WWAMI region.
The WWAMI Track Program allows accepted students to be scheduled for a designated number of required clerkships in one specific state/region within WWAMI (24 weeks for Patient Care Phase and 12 weeks for Explore & Focus Phase). Track ONLY guarantees 24 weeks in Patient Care, and 12 weeks in Explore & Focus at your Track site. You should not assume that because you are a Track student you will be given additional time at your Track site. Students in Track will still be expected to travel throughout the WWAMI region when they are not scheduled at their Track site. APPLICATION PROCESS REQUIRED – see WWAMI Track Program (link above) for details.
The WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE) is a 21- or 24-week integrated rural clinical training experience for a pre-selected group of Patient Care Phase students. During WRITE, students experience a mix of ambulatory and hospital training and develop practice styles while learning how to treat a broad range of medical, surgical, and psychological problems with a focus on rural medicine. Students in WRITE will still be expected to travel throughout the WWAMI region when they are not scheduled at their WRITE site. APPLICATION PROCESS REQUIRED. See WRITE link above for details.
The Olympia LIC is an 11-month longitudinal clerkship with an emphasis on community care and based in the small urban community of Olympia, Washington. A longitudinal integrated clerkship allows a student over time to experience multiple medical disciplines. This is opposed to a traditional clerkship that is specialty-focused, such as pediatrics, and usually lasts for a blocked timeframe (typically 6 weeks). APPLICATION PROCESS REQUIRED. See Olympia LIC link above for details.