I did my med school at UW and can vouch for the program. The chair is amazing and has good leadership qualities and vision. He has hired many new faculty since he started there, many of whom are young and very interested in teaching. He is working on getting a 5th resident for the program which will allow for a 3rd year rotation dedicated to either research, rural surgerical experience, or international work (resident's choice).
Surgical numbers are above average. Clinical experience is excellent with an extremely diverse patient population. Pathology is varied and often advanced.
Downsides: cost of living, parking, call can be pretty brutal given the residents cover multiple hospitals and they are all pretty spread out.
It was a top 3 program for me when I applied. Dr. Van Gelder will only make the program better the longer he is there as chair.