Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine

University of Washington:
Academic Personnel & Faculty:
School of Medicine:
Chairs - School of Medicine Location

Seattle, WA

Mar 03, 2025

The University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine (SOM) seeks a professor and physician to serve as chair of the Department of Medicine and lead one of the nation’s premier Departments of Medicine. The SOM serves the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI), advancing UW Medicine’s mission to improve the health of the public through excellence in research, education, and clinical care.

The UW SOM is unique among academic health systems as a national leader in primary care education and rural medicine training across the WWAMI region while also being a world-leader in biomedical research and the provision of innovative qua ternary care. The Department of Medicine is the largest in the SOM, with over 1,200 paid faculty members, more than 800 unpaid faculty, 473 residents and fellows, 345 advanced practice providers, and a staff of over 800 across 11 divisions.

Department members provide care across 390 clinical sites, including UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.

The chair will take the helm of an academically strong and clinically robust department. The Department of Medicine is a historic leader in research, with faculty participating in numerous interdisciplinary centers and projects to advance discovery. Overseeing a portfolio including basic, translational, clinical, health services, and health equity research, the chair will grow and support research that directly translates to improving patient care.

The chair will also advocate for the educational offerings of the department, which is responsible for training physicians across the largest geographic region of any school of medicine. This position will be expected to train both primary care physicians and specialists and the chair will be diligent in advancing the broad mission of training the next generation of physicians in the Pacific Northwest.

The chair will also provide leadership for an expansive clinical apparatus, with faculty practicing in locations across the Puget Sound and WWAMI and providing care for all.

The chair will work closely with SOM and health system leaders to craft a vision for the future of the department that leverages existing strengths and grows to meet the needs of the community, faculty, staff, and trainees of the department. The chair will be active in ensuring clinical excellence and examining and refining clinical operations to improve access, efficiency, patient experience, and physician well-being.

This work will include the opportunity to strategically grow primary and ambulatory care networks, as well as sub‑specialty referral networks in the Seattle area and across the WWAMI region. The chair will also support and grow the academic missions of education and research, providing guidance and resources to support faculty as they grow their careers and impact. The fiscal health of the department must be maintained as part of the overall health of the SOM, and the chair will be a responsible steward of existing resources and entrepreneurial in their pursuit of additional sources of revenue, including philanthropy.

The chair will also ensure that a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and belonging is maintained in the department, bringing together diverse faculty, staff, and trainees around the shared mission of meeting the healthcare needs of the region and advancing knowledge.

The position is a full‑time and tenured academic position at the rank of Professor with an anticipated start date in Fall 2025.Professors hold indefinite appointments that align with a 12‑month service period (July 1-June 30). Faculty with 12-month service periods are paid for 11 months of service over a 12‑month period (July-June), meaning the equivalent of one month is available for paid time off.

University of Washington faculty engage in clinical care, teaching, research, and service.

COMPENSATION AND LOCATION

The base salary range for this position will…