About Seattle
New to Seattle?
See experiences from prior fellows.
Suha Mahi Eldin, MD
As someone who came to Seattle without an established network, I was struck by how easy it was to find my footing both inside and outside the hospital. There truly is something for everyone here, and I felt part of a community far sooner than I expected. The city is walkable, the people are warm and welcoming, and the natural beauty surrounding Seattle is unlike anywhere I’ve lived before. I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone looking for rigorous training in an incredibly supportive environment.
2025-2026 Sleep Fellow
Colin Sheffield, DO
Moving to Seattle for a one-year fellowship initially felt like a big transition, but it quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. The city offers so much outside work such as great food, sports, concerts, and endless opportunities to explore. The program does a great job helping ease the transition by having a virtual happy hour with attendings as well as prior fellows to go over everything Seattle before you make the move. Notable highlight is Dr. Palen’s list of to-do’s while in Seattle. I highly recommend treating those as a bucket list and working through them during the year. If you enjoy the outdoors, the Pacific Northwest is hard to beat. I made time to explore the Cascade Range, Hoh Rain Forest, and Mount Rainier National Park, and each experience was unique and memorable.
2025-2026 Sleep Fellow
Lefulesele “Lyvoo” Kholoane, MBBS
Although I had briefly lived here, I was a little bit apprehensive about my commute to work since I moved back to the condo my husband and I stay at in Kirkland, and I know traffic from the eastside into Seattle can be a hassle. One of my attendings who also lives on the eastside reached out after the match to offer tips about commuting, which was helpful. Overall, relocating can understandably feel unsettling, the transition was eased by friendly outgoing fellows and attendings who availed themselves to answer questions and offer insights about housing, transportation, and dining options.
2024-2025 Sleep Fellow
Tameem Rezan, MD
I’ve been moving across the country for the last 8 years of training: I started my training in New Orleans, moved to Southern California for PCCM, and finally finished training here in Seattle. The faculty made this the easiest move by offering advice / recommendations / information about different parts of town and holding a session asking if we had any questions before starting fellowship, being flexible in the early weeks to finish up logistical / onboarding tasks, and also eagerly sharing their insights / favorite places in Seattle. The city itself has been an amazing place to live, with great access to outdoors, excellent and varied food options, and the weather was surprisingly not as bad as people say. Even in the rainy season, the city and the surrounding are are beautiful with plenty to do and see.
2024-2025 Sleep Fellow
Brian Wall, MD
I moved to Seattle after completing residency in Chicago. Moving was manageable. The faculty was supportive and aware that we were settling into our new lives during the first few months of fellowship. I paid a moving company to transport my belongings, which certainly alleviated stress, but is also more costly than using a rented trailer to transport belongings. Any move is stressful, but the opportunity to live in an amazing city and join a wonderful Sleep Medicine community made the move an exciting experience for me.
2024-2025 Sleep Fellow
Sravani Gajjala, MBBS
Deciding to relocate from bustling New York City to Seattle was initially daunting, but the warm welcome I received from the faculty made all the difference. Their thoughtful gesture of hosting a happy hour for incoming fellows, where I could seek advice on everything from neighborhoods to transportation, instantly eased my apprehensions. Moreover, the attendings generously shared their local insights, from favorite dining spots to hidden gems, which quickly made Seattle feel like home. They not only helped me navigate the practical aspects of the move but also fostered a sense of belonging from the start. In the end, I am convinced I made the right choice in calling Seattle my new home.
2023-2024 Sleep Fellow
Tha Saw, MD
I switched coasts in coming to Seattle for fellowship. There’s no sugarcoating the fact that it is a high cost of living area, but I would argue that the experience has been more than worth it. The UW resident and fellow physician union has made big strides in salary increases, housing stipends, and additional benefits, and continue to advocate for more positive change. I have found Seattle to be livable on my fellow’s salary. The weather isn’t as bad as people make it out to be, and there is some truly breathtaking nature to be explored in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
2023-2024 Sleep Fellow
Matthew Haley, MD
I moved from Portland, OR to Seattle. At the beginning, the fellows above me and faculty were very outgoing and extended many resources to help guide my apartment search – and it worked out great. While here, I was able to pick a spot close to my clinical training sites, go to Mariners games, and hop on 90 to make it to Snoqualmie and ski (and hike). So for me, even though I was moving to a new city, the availability and kindness of the faculty and outgoing fellows made my apartment search as easy as can be for a move.
2023-2024 Sleep Fellow
Ifeoma Oriaku, MD
I moved from Philadelphia to Seattle for sleep fellowship and had never been to Seattle. I decided on and signed my lease online without ever seeing it in person. Six months later, I am beyond delighted by my choice. The culture at the University of Washington sleep medicine is the best teaching experience I have had, one where my inquisitiveness has been able to blossom thanks to mentors and faculties who are invested in teaching but also learning alongside me. I have fallen in love with the city and plan to stay here longer and practice.
2022-2023 Sleep Fellow
Shanta Pillai, DO
After completing residency in the Midwest, it was a little daunting to move to Seattle for a one-year fellowship. However, being halfway through now and applying for jobs, I am seeing so many more opportunities that are options for me now. I genuinely was not expecting so many responses to my CV and am so thankful to have matched at UW, it is evident from speaking with employers that this program is a tremendous strength on my application. It may seem like a big overtaking at first, but it is undoubtedly the best investment I have made in my entire medical path.
2022-2023 Sleep Fellow
Finding housing in Seattle was quite a simple process. The cost can certainly be difficult for those coming from rural areas or smaller towns. Having said that, I do feel Seattle’s cost of living is comparable to most major cities. If I had to do the process again, for the sake of location and ease, I would likely have rented a home (Zillow) or there are many UW faculty who have furnished homes/spaces listed on SabbaticalHomes.com
Justin Blaty, MD
The thought of moving across the country after residency for a one year fellowship was intimidating, but it was the best decision I made. Leila and the prior fellows were incredibly helpful as I navigated my personal logistics (finding housing, getting oriented, badges & credentials etc) and helped make my move from New York easy. I feel the Sleep Medicine Education at UW was unparalleled and opened more doors personally and professionally than if I would have continued my training closer to home.
2021-2022 Sleep Fellow
Zachariah Dorey Stein, MD
While making the decision to move cross country for a one-year fellowship was in many ways a leap of faith not only for me but for my wife, we are both extremely glad that we did. Training in a different environment with experts in the field of Sleep Medicine was not only intellectually invigorating but also provided multiple different clinical experiences. Following the completion of my fellowship we enjoyed living in Seattle so much that we decided to stay and continue practicing in the region.
2021-2022 Sleep Fellow
Ankit Amin, MD
Although UW was my top choice following interview season, I had reservations about the possibility of moving cross-country for a 1 year training program. Eventually, I decided to take a leap of faith and now looking back I have no regrets. This is a superb multidisciplinary program with an immensely supportive faculty which will offer you all the guidance and resources you need to help you achieve your career goals.
2019-2020 Sleep Fellow
Rahul Sharma, MD
I’m happy I made the decision to move across country for the UW training experience. Not only did I receive excellent training in sleep medicine, but I also found the place that I’m happy to call home 5 years later.
2018-2019 Sleep Fellow
About UW
Please also visit the UW GME site for Prospective Residents & Fellows for information about recruitment, the UW Resident and Fellow Physician Union, compensation, benefits, etc. Prospective Residents & Fellows | UW Graduate Medical Education
GME Benefit Highlights
The Resident & Fellow Physician Union – Northwest (RFPU-NW) is the certified labor union and exclusive bargaining representative for the majority of residents and fellows in the UW School of Medicine (UW SOM) and in the UW School of Dentistry (UW SOD).
- Prospective Residents & Fellows | UW Graduate Medical Education
- RFPU-NW Contract
- RFPU-NW Infographic
- GME Finance | UW Graduate Medical Education
- Sample Compensation Schedule
Leave
- 4 weeks of vacation yearly
- 17 days paid sick leave yearly
- Up to 10 days paid professional leave yearly (sitting for exams, professional meetings, professional interviews, etc.)
- 1 day paid personal holiday per calendar year
Financial
- WA State medical license reimbursement + DEA license exemption
- Fully subsidized U-Pass (regional bus, light rail, train, monorail, streetcar, water taxi, etc)
- Regional and national vendor discounts
- Provided by the PCCSM division:
- $450 educational funds (automatically paid out at the beginning of the year) + supplemental funds to attend the annual Sleep conference