Internal Medicine
Welcome to the Internal Medicine Residency
Letter from the Director
Spokane has so much to offer – challenging medicine, dedicated faculty and amazing colleagues – all in a beautiful natural setting. We are a mission driven organization and gratefully care for a diverse patient population which includes many poor and vulnerable people. Spokane is home to multiple residencies and two medical schools; teaching and collaboration are important components of our program that are carried over to our multi-disciplinary clinic that is beautiful and new.
Come for a visit – you will be warmly welcomed.
Judy Benson, MD

Navigator
Mission statement
An Academic Community-based Program
The smaller size of the IMRS program allows us to tailor your education and make sure that we address your needs. The Spokane setting allows for a depth and breadth of experience that rivals university hospitals. The IMRS:
- Lives the mission of providing care for the poor and vulnerable
- Encourages rigorous scholarship with ownership and responsibility for clinical decision-making
- Uses case-based teaching as much as possible
- Encourages residents to provide much of the teaching content for conferences and journal clubs to facilitate adult learning
- Mentors each resident as an individual
- Provides easy access to faculty – day or night
- Provides ample opportunities for procedures (no competition from fellows) and dedicated ultrasound training
- Learn with faculty whose emphasis is direct patient care and lifelong learning
- Promotes the use of humanities and humor in teaching
- Strives to provide a balanced work-life dynamic
- Has an affiliation with University of Washington School of Medicine
Our Patients
Our patients are ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. In addition to a breadth of medical conditions, we care for patients with financial challenges, housing difficulties, legal and social problems. Our patients appreciate the extra time we give them. Many patients have been with our practice for twenty years and proudly share how they have “trained many doctors.”
The Inland Northwest is home to many Native American tribes (Spokane means “Children of the Sun”) and we are proud to provide care for them. In addition, Spokane welcomes many immigrants. Ukrainian, Russian, Marshallese, Arabic, Hindi and Spanish are just a few of the more common languages we hear in our work.
“Patient-centered care, focused on underserved populations, all with exceptional financial, physical, and emotional support from faculty and co-residents.”
Graduate Medical Education Policies
The Spokane Teaching Health Clinic and the Internal Medicine Spokane Residency Program have developed several important graduate medical education policies.