Pre-Med Summit - WWAMI Medical Education Program

Medical residency is post-graduate training after completion of medical school. Residency provides more focused, in-depth training in one area of medicine

Before graduating medical school, typically between third and fourth year, most students research and apply to residency programs in their chosen specialty area. Residencies vary in length from 3-7 years depending on the specialty area. Below are several residency options, although there are more that could be added:

Three-Year Residencies:

Internal Medicine

Family Medicine

Pediatrics

Emergency Medicine

Four-Year Residencies:

Obstetrics-Gynecology

Psychiatry

Neurology

Dermatology

Ophthalmology

Five-Year Residencies:

General Surgery 5 years

Urology 5 years

Greater than Five-Year Residencies:

Neurosurgery 7 years

Additional helpful links for more information about residency:

https://students-residents.aamc.org/premed-navigator/whats-journey-residency

https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/prospective-residents-and-fellows/

https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/preparing-residency/which-factors-do-applicants-weigh-most-when-picking-residency

Job Shadowing

Job-shadowing will give you a better understanding of what a doctor's typical day is like, allows you to get a clear sense of what it’s like to be a practicing physician, and gives you good experience to talk about in your applications and interviews for medical school. It's also a great way to gain familiarity with different specialties and medical environments. For this reason, many medical schools across the U.S. have a minimum requirement for shadowing hours. This may vary widely; some schools require 12–24 hours, while others require more than 75 hours. WWAMI sits in the middle with a strong recommendation of at least 40 hours.

If you don’t already have a personal connection with a physician, we can usually assist with making those connections, if you have flexibility in scheduling, locations, preferred specialties, etc. Feel free to reach out to the below contacts for assistance:

Ali McInnis, Montana WWAMI TRUST Assistant

alij@uw.edu or (208) 699-4134

Rural shadowing opportunities available.

Liz Kelsey, UM Pre-Med Job Shadow Program Manager

elizabeth.kelsey@umontana.eduor (406) 243-4763

Robotic shadowing and/or webinar-based shadowing also available.

Diversity Information & Programs’ Contacts

Montana American Indian Post Baccalaureate Program brochure

Drew Babcock, American Indian Outreach & Project Coordinator
- Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana
- Missoula, Montana
- drew.babcock@mso.umt.edu

Visit the University of Washington’s Center for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (CEDI) website
Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP)
- SHPEP is a FREE six-week transformative summer experience for college freshman and sophomore students interested in the health professions. The program offers opportunities to explore health careers, including dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and public health. SHPEP scholars have a legacy of success: over 65% of scholars who apply to medical and dental schools are accepted.