Tacoma Family Medicine

No other family medicine program in the country can claim their own dedicated children’s hospital! TFM is the only residency program based at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, a 72-bed pediatric hospital which serves all of southwest Washington. The result? A family medicine training in pediatrics unequalled anywhere.

Primary Responsibility

Residents take the role as primary physician, managing a wide variety of acute pediatric illnesses. They work closely under the supervision of the pediatric hospitalists who provide guidance and teaching in many family practice appropriate topics as well as offering insight from the ambulatory perspective. Residents also participate in the teaching of medical students from the University of Washington who are completing their pediatric clerkships.

The experience in pediatrics doesn’t stop there however. TFM continuity pediatric patients are also admitted to Mary Bridge and managed by the FP service.

Pediatric ER and Trauma

With a full-time pediatric emergency department, a Level II pediatric trauma center and critical care unit, residents on call are as busy admitting children as they are adults. They also spend 4-5 weeks in the pediatric ER gaining experience in pediatric trauma, acute illness, procedures and sedation.

Ambulatory Pediatrics

The curriculum also emphasizes the development of strong outpatient pediatric training, addressing many ambulatory subjects including well child checks, failure to thrive and development. This training is complemented by periodic 1:1 (faculty and resident) half-day sessions.