Parenting

Students should research childcare options prior to or as soon as they become pregnant or, if they are already parents, as soon as they are accepted to medical school, as many childcare centers have long waiting lists. While financial aid can be adjusted to cover family housing expenses, the school cannot subsidize, facilitate, or manage placement of dependents at childcare centers, daycare centers, adult homes, or nursing homes.

Childcare & clerkship schedules

Due to clinic, physician, team, and patient schedules, the amount of scheduling notice will vary across clerkships and often can be minimal. Students who are parents of small children should alert their site administrators that they will need to arrange childcare and ask to be given their work schedule as soon as it is available so that they can make childcare arrangements.

Students should communicate any planned absences to their clerkship administrator and site director in advance of the start of the clerkship.

• WA – Seattle:

  Student parents at the UW can find the resources they need to support the successful completion of their degree, including general UW childcare and parenting resources listed here. The UW Childcare Assistance Program (formerly known as the Student Parent Resource Center) is designed to assist UW Seattle campus students in covering the costs of licensed childcare for their children (ages birth – 12 years old) while enrolled in an eligible program of study to reduce the second primary barrier to attaining a higher education. This award is funded by Student & Activity fees paid by students attending the Seattle Campus. To apply for Childcare Assistance, please visit the Application Process web page. If you need help finding a childcare provider, please click here. For additional information, please visit UW Childcare Assistance Resources, email caposfa@uw.edu, or phone 206.543.1041.

On-site childcare at UW:

UW Children’s Centers serve faculty, staff, and students by providing year-round, on-site infant, toddler, and preschool childcare at four Seattle campus locations. The Children’s Centers at West Campus and Portage Bay serve primarily UW faculty and staff. The Children’s Centers at Radford Court and Laurel Village give some priority to UW students in family housing. Enrollment priority and tuition cost vary for each location, and you must put your name in the wait pool before enrolling; the average wait time for space is 2-3 years.

Off-site childcare for UW students:

UW students are eligible for priority access for off-site childcare at all Bright Horizons centers and select KinderCare centers on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority access does not guarantee placement, but it will move you up their wait pool as a UW priority.

• WA – Spokane:

  Gonzaga University does not provide campus-affiliated childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

• WY – Laramie:

  Visit University of Wyoming Childcare Resources and University of Wyoming-associated Childcare Resources.

• AK – Anchorage:

  The University of Alaska Anchorage does does not provide campus-affiliated childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance. See UAA Support for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Parents for more information and additional links. State resources include Alaska Childcare Program Office and Alaska Childcare Financial Assistance for Families.

• MT – Bozeman:

  Visit Montana State University Student Family Support and Montana State University Family Advocates & Contact Information

• ID – Moscow:

  Visit University of Idaho Children’s Center

• WA – Seattle:

UW Family Housing is available for registered full-time students (at least 10 credits per quarter for graduate students) at the Seattle campus who want to live with their family in on-campus housing. A family is defined as a married couple, with or without children, or a single parent with one or more dependent children. Dependent children are defined as children less than the age of 18 who are under your legal custody, or children who are age 18 or older who are claimed as dependents on your tax return. Same-sex domestic partnerships are accepted from jurisdictions that do not allow same-sex marriage. There are currently three family housing communities that accommodate students with children:

• • • Blakeley Village:
      • For students with children: single parents, married couples
      • 2- and 3-bedroom apartments

• • • Laurel Village:
      • For students with children; single parents, married couples
      • 2- and 3-bedroom apartments

• • • Radford Court:
      • For students with or without children; single students, married couples
      • 1- 2- and 3-bedroom apartments

The UW Family Housing Eligibility website has much more information including eligibility and priority system, billing and payments, FAQs, and off-campus housing resources. If you have questions that the websites do not answer, please email hfsinfo@uw.edu or phone 206.543.4059.

There is a wait list, which can be quite long; some students can wait up to several months for placement, so applying early is advised. We recommend you start the process as soon as you or your partner become pregnant.

• WA – Spokane:

The Gonzaga University (GU) Department of Housing and Residence Life is a comprehensive program of housing information and assistance for all students, but primarily serves “traditional-aged” full-time undergraduate students with on- and off-campus resources owned or operated by GU. However, they also provide assistance searching for living accommodations in the greater Spokane area for older students, families, etc. The GU virtual bulletin board will point you in the direction of both GU-owned and non-GU owned off-campus properties you may be interested in. For further information on GU’s off-campus properties, residency requirements, or to obtain an application, please contact the off-campus Residence Director at (509) 313-4112 or email offcampushousing@gonzaga.edu.

• WY – Laramie:

The University of Wyoming Apartments and Bison Run Village provide the only on-campus housing in Laramie for student families. The apartment pricing is all-inclusive with one flat monthly rate, which also affords access to campus transport, 24-hour emergency maintenance, free parking, laundry facilities, the Community Center, satellite TV, and WiFi. The apartment complexes most geared towards families are:

• • • Landmark Village:
      • Primarily features two-bedroom apartments, which are available either furnished or unfurnished. All apartments have extra storage in the bedroom and pantry area, as well as washer and electric dryer hookups. Play equipment for kids is located in each courtyard.

• • • River Village:
      • Features two- and three-bedroom apartments. which are available either furnished or unfurnished (there is an additional monthly fee for furnished apartments), and include washer and electric dryer hookups and broadband Internet access. In addition, the complex has two large children’s play areas. (Note: A select number of River Village units will now be leased individually by the room.)

To check on specific apartment availability before applying, please phone the Leasing Coordinator at 307-766-6980 or email leasing@uwyo.edu. Click here to read more about eligibility requirements and the pets policy.

• MT – Bozeman:

Montana State University (MSU) Student Housing offers family housing in the form of the following apartment/townhouse complexes:

• • • Branegan Court:
      • Branegan Court, located near the ASMSU Daycare, offers 2-bedroom family-style apartments and 2-bedroom townhouses; all units have dishwashers and there is a free shared laundry facility per building. Water, garbage, heat, and electricity are included in the rent. The complex is next to the Grant Chamberlain field and near three parks, so there is plenty of space for outdoor activities.

• • • McIntosh Court:
      • MSU’s newest family-style complex, located near the ASMSU Daycare, is comprised of 3-bedroom townhouses and accessible flats. These apartments have washer/dryer hookups and 1.5 bathrooms. McIntosh Court is an active family area, providing lots of green space around the buildings and quick access to two playgrounds and a field for lots of outdoor play. Water, garbage, and wired and wireless campus internet access are included in the rent.

• • • Paisley Court:
      • A family-style apartment complex with 2- or 3-bedroom options, Paisley Court is conveniently located near the ASMSU Daycare and next to the intramural fields and a centrally located park, so there is plenty of space for outdoor activities. Each building shares one free laundry facility. Water, sewer, garbage, and wired and wireless campus internet access are included in the rent. Some units have dishwashers.

• • •  West Side Houses:
      • This family-style option located near the ASMSU Daycare offers added privacy via 2- and 3-bedroom standalone houses, each of which have washer/dryer hookups, but no dishwasher. Rent includes water and garbage, but not internet or any other utilities. Street parking is available at no cost. The houses are located 0.25 miles away from a playground and large field, offering plenty of space for outdoor activities.

• ID – Moscow:

Idaho State University (ISU) Student Housing offers family housing in the form of the following apartment/townhouse complexes:

• • • South Hill:
      •  This complex offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom townhouse-style units. Internet, water, sewer, and garbage are included in the rent; residents pay for electricity. Washer/dryer hookups are available (electric). The kitchens are equipped with refrigerator, stove, oven, and garbage disposal. The complex has playgrounds and large green spaces. Parking is available in a private lot with a Green lot parking permit purchase. 6-month through 12-month contracts are available.

• • • South Hill Vista:
      •  This complex offers two-, three-, and four-bedroom townhouse-style units. Internet, water, sewer, and garbage are included in the rent; residents pay for gas and electricity. Washer/dryer hookups are available (electric). The kitchens are equipped with refrigerator, stove, oven, and garbage disposal. The complex has playgrounds and large green spaces. Parking is available in a private lot with a Green lot parking permit purchase. 6-month through 12-month contracts are available.

The Time in Seattle policy requires that every student complete at least 8 weeks of clerkships in Seattle. Students are also expected to complete at least 24 weeks of clerkships in regional WWAMI sites outside of Seattle. To optimize time in one location, students can:

• Apply to Special Programs: The Olympic Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) program, the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE), or the WWAMI Track program, which includes the Greater Seattle Option (GSO). On the application for these programs, students should indicate their reason for needing to be in a particular location.
• Following the release of the clerkship schedules, students may trade clerkships with other students to increase their time in a particular location.
• If students are unable to travel due to a medical condition, they should obtain accommodations from Disability Resources for Students (DRS). Depending on the timing of the request relative to the scheduling process, clerkship availability, and capacity, DRS may require a student to be accommodated in one location for a longer duration.

Depending on the circumstances, students might also consider taking “lighter” elective courses, expanding their coursework, or taking a leave of absence.

Clerkship site assignments

For clerkships with multiple sites, specific site placement is determined by individual clerkship departments. Students should contact the clerkship administrators as soon as they receive their schedules from the registrar to discuss any options for site placements.

All students are expected to meet the required work hours of the clerkship, as outlined in the technical standards. There can be no restrictions on students’ work hours, and commute time is not factored into work hours. All students should be provided with a call room when they are on call. If no call room is available, students will be excused from call.

Pregnant students who are concerned about work hours should contact their clerkship site administrators several weeks prior to starting the rotation to see if there are ways to optimize their clerkship schedule. Depending on the specific clerkship, call schedule, and patient schedule, this may or may not be possible.

Students who are parents of small children should alert their clerkship site administrators that they will need to arrange childcare and ask to be given their work schedule as soon as it is available so that they can make childcare arrangements. Note that due to clinic, physician, team, and patient schedules, the amount of scheduling notice will vary and can be minimal.

Students should communicate any planned absences to their clerkship administrator and site director in advance of the start of the clerkship.

Depending on the circumstances, students might also consider taking “lighter” elective courses, expanding their coursework, or taking a leave of absence until they feel ready to be fully engaged in their educational experience.

If there are extenuating circumstances that make their clerkship schedule unfeasible but the 6-week add/drop deadline has already passed, students should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Housing is provided by the individual clerkship departments and may range from single units to larger units accommodating multiple students. Not all sites have family-friendly housing available. To determine if a particular site is suitable for their needs, students should research the housing options prior to submitting scheduling preferences to the registrar’s office. Housing information is available on the individual department websites.

The UWSOM does not reimburse for private housing.

Students may choose to take time off to spend more focused time with their families post-partum. There are two ways to extend medical training: leave of absence or expansion.

• A leave of absence is when a student takes off two or more quarters, is not enrolled in any course work or clerkships, and is not paying any tuition or receiving any financial aid.
• An expansion is when a student spreads out their clinical curriculum such that they are enrolled at least every other quarter. Expansions are only an option for students in their clinical curriculum.

Students interested in taking time off should meet with the Proactive Advisor to discuss their options.

Financial implications

The financial impact to each student will vary according to when the leave begins, the length of the leave, the type of leave (leave vs. expansion), the student’s home WWAMI state, and the student’s curricular program (MSTP, HPSP, OMS, etc.).

Students should meet with a Financial Aid Counselor from the UWSOM Financial Aid Office to discuss any potential impacts, including but not limited to:

• Grace periods on loans
• WWAMI partner fees or tuition affiliations
• Tuition forfeitures
• Adjustments to aid/paying back aid
• Additional tuition for extra coursework (expansion)
• Additional debt for housing, childcare expenses, etc.

Residency implications

Students should be prepared to discuss any interruptions to their medical education during their residency interviews.

When residency programs review applicants who have taken extra time during medical school, they are looking for “red flags” that might have been responsible for the extra time. Pregnancy and parenthood are not considered a “red flag” by residency programs (and if a residency program does consider it a “red flag” and is not supportive of parents, then it is a program that students should avoid).

Career Advisors and College Mentors are available to help students prepare their responses.

If you are a pregnant or parenting student, there may be additional stressors in your life as you work to balance both school and family. Remember that the UWSOM offers free and confidential counseling for medical students, and their services are available to you and your partner/spouse. Records are kept completely separate from academic records and are never shared with administration. MD/PhD students continue to have access to the UWSOM Counseling and Wellness Service while they complete their PhD program. For a list of counselors throughout the WWAMI region, visit the UWSOM Counseling and Wellness website.

The University of Washington also offers counseling for UW students through the Counseling Center.