Letter from the Chair

Dr. Paul James

Welcome to the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Established in 1971, our department has grown and led the way in the Family Medicine specialty for 50 years! It has been my honor to serve as the Chair of the department since April 2017, alongside a remarkable group of physicians, physician assistants, instructors, researchers, mentors, administrators, and more. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist community that encourages participation and connection and values each individual’s unique contributions. Please browse our website to get a sense of who we are and the work we do.

Our department is committed to three core tenets: 1) high quality, rigorous, patient-centered education for students and residents, 2) an internationally-recognized research organization focused on increasing the quality, effectiveness, accessibility, and sustainability of primary care, and 3) compassionate, high caliber, evidence-based clinical patient care. We achieve this through the work of seven departmental sections, our Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and our administrative team.

We are thrilled to look ahead to the next 50th years and beyond for Family Medicine at the University of Washington. Our vision includes a more robust clinical presence in support of the UW Medicine mission; a physical space that draws our diverse department together to better collaborate and find synergies among our work; and a place where students, residents, clinicians, and researchers work alongside integrative medicine and behavioral health practitioners, physician assistants and learners of all types to provide the best care for patients in our communities. If you are interested in investing in the future of Family Medicine at UW, please visit our Support Family Medicine page or contact me directly.

And finally, we would love to keep you up to date on our work. You can read past editions of our departmental newsletter, and follow us on our Twitter and Facebook channels. If you are interested in our Family Medicine Residency, you can hear directly from our current residents on Instagram.

The Department of Family Medicine is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities through leadership in education, scholarship and clinical care. Please join us in our mission.

Go Huskies!

Paul James MD
Professor and Chair