The Washington State University (WSU) Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has recently announced that it has earned accreditation to launch its first residency program in Everett.
The announcement was first released Wednesday Sep. 16 by the school’s newspaper, WSU Insider. According to the release, the WSU Internal Medicine Residency Program-Everett, based at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will host the three-year residency training program with an emphasis on primary care.
The program has been approved for 16 resident positions in the first year beginning June of 2021. The positions will consist of 12 categorial and four preliminary titles with an addition of 12 more positions added each year over three years to cover a total of 40 total residency positions when fully supported.
A residency is a three- to seven-year phase of medical education following graduation from medical school that prepares physicians for independent practice in a medical specialty, explained the school of medicines Director of Communications, Marketing and Operations Christina VerHeul.
Dr. John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine had this to say. “This is an extremely proud moment for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and is something we’ve been working toward since the day we started the college.” He went further by sharing how more residency programs in Washington increases the likelihood that students will remain in our state to practice medicine.
VerHeul explained how about 43 percent of medical school graduates’ practice in the state where they graduate, but that number jumps to 70 percent when they complete both their medical education and their residency in the same state.
Chief medical officer at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, Dr. Jay Cook shared his enthusiasm for the program. “We are thrilled to partner with the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine on this new program and welcome our first class of residents next summer.” Dr. Cook explained how the mission to train medical students to serve our states rural and underserved communities and increase the likelihood they will remain in the state aligns with the medical center’s goals. “… we look forward to making a marked impact on both through this residency program.”
Residents will be largely based at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. However, they will have rotations with multiple area clinics and physician groups including The Everett Clinic, Snohomish Kidney Institute, North Sound Emergency Medicine, Western Washington Medical Group, and Providence Medical Group Northwest. The residents will divide their time among general medicine and subspecialty ward services, intensive care units, ambulatory care experiences, consultation rotations, emergency rooms and long-term care settings.
Matthew Hansen, the Program Director that will be leading the charge for operations, recruitment and education for the program is an internal medicine specialist who has been treating patients in and around Everett for the past six years.
“I am honored to be WSU’s first residency program director and to use my expertise and passion for medical education to expand internal medicine training in Washington,” said Hansen in the release. “Like the inaugural class at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, this first class of residents will get to help mold and shape this program for years to come, leaving a legacy for every future resident in this program.”
To find out more information about applying to the WSU International Medicine Residency Program-Everett or to learn more about the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, visit medicine.wsu.edu
