Are WWAMI students required to enter primary care?

[cougalum]

I am an Idaho resident, so I applied to the University of Washington because of the WWAMI program. I have heard, however, from some people that as part of the agreement to pay in-state tuition as a WWAMI resident, they are required to enter a primary care residency. I have also heard that this is not the case. I even e-mailed one of the WWAMI people about this, and never got a response.

It's not that I won't go into primary care, I just don't want to be forced into it. Does anyone know anything about this? Ever heard of this?

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[Thrombomodulin]

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[tianac2]

You are not required to go into primary care. Period. That said however, let me clear up a little of what the previous poster said. I applied and interviewed at UW last year and as part of the information session, they told us that they're year-by-year progression is different than most schools.

Year 1 you do at your home state's participating institution (I believe Idaho's is U of Idaho)
Year 2 you do at the med school in Seattle
Year 3 and 4 are customized based on your residency and interests. In the case of WAMI students you most often return to your home state and do your rotations with doctors there.
In essence, this means that you could theoretically do each year in a different place.

UW also has 'tracks' for special interests. For example, if I get accepted there this time around, I fully intend to go into their rural and underserved medicine track. In this track I do my rotations in rural and underserved areas so that I learn in the same places where I will use the knowledge.