Street Medicine Pathway

The goal of the Street Medicine Pathway is to equip residents with the clinical knowledge, social context, leadership skills, and community to provide exceptional patient-centered, trauma-informed care for people experiencing homelessness.

This is unpublished

overview

Pathway Director

Aynsley Duncan, MD (she/her)
Division of General Internal Medicine

aynsleyd@uw.edu 

Starting in 2026, the Street Medicine Pathway is a new longitudinal training pathway designed for UW Internal Medicine residents looking for protected time dedicated to more advanced skills and training in the care for people experiencing homelessness (PEH).  We anticipate residents in this pathway are passionate about caring for this urban underserved population in particular and want to learn from and with others currently engaged in this work. This pathway is open to all UW Internal Medicine residents with diverse career paths and goals.

clinical block

Residents accepted to the pathway will choose and complete at least one of the three relevant clinical elective rotations during their residency: 

  • Housing First (HMC) - strong focus on clinical skills such as wound care, communication and engagement, de-escalation, management of acute psychosis, overdose response, etc that will be applied across fixed-site locations
  • VA Homeless Health (VA) - includes both clinic and outreach experiences focused on the care for veterans experiencing homelessness  
  • Street Medicine (HMC) - new in 2027, this mobile and street medicine elective focuses on outreach and engagement, and patient-centered low-acuity acute care in non-fixed locations including encampments, tiny home villages, and the street 

immersion block

Residents accepted to the pathway will complete an annual 4-week immersion block in R2 and R3 years that focuses on navigating social determinants of health and legal systems. This rotation includes didactic lectures, workshops, and site visits. Workshops include wound care, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, de-escalation, and overdose response. There will also be site visits to meet with representatives from community partner agencies including Downtown Emergency Services Center to learn about local community and housing resources. We'll also meet with representatives from Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and Purpose Dignity Action to discuss medical legal partnerships and advocacy efforts as this relates to care and support for our shared clients. There will also be dedicated time to work on the scholarly project and build community with fellow residents and faculty. 

scholarly project

All pathway residents complete a scholarly project before the completion of residency. This is defined broadly and could include research, education, QI, and advocacy. Upon acceptance to the pathway, residents will be paired with mentors based on their interests to support completion of this project. Scholarly work that is accepted to conferences such as but not limited to HCHN or SMI will be provided with support to attend and present their work. 

mentorship & community building

We have a strong cohort of faculty dedicated to this work, including those who contribute directly to the pathway, clinical preceptors, and mentors. Upon acceptance into the pathway, you'll meet with the Pathway Director, Dr. Aynsley Duncan, to discuss your interests and ideas for scholarly work, and be introduced to potential faculty mentors to support your project and professional development. Throughout the duration of the pathway, residents not only learn with other pathway residents, but will connect with like-minded colleagues at UW Medicine and in the community as part of an interprofessional network.