First Clinical Practice faculty appointed
In 2023, the University of Washington Faculty Senate approved the Clinical Practice track, for faculty who devote the majority of their time to clinical activities and clinical teaching, and also engage in service and scholarship.
The Clinical Practice track better recognizes the important role of clinical faculty and seeks to promote equity, recruitment, and retention. Faculty who transition into this new track will become voting members of the Faculty Senate, amplifying their voice and responsibility in the governance of the School of Medicine and the University. The track also provides multi-year appointments and promotion criteria that better account for and recognize the important activities of academic clinicians.
This distinction improves recruitment and retention of academic clinical faculty.
As of December 1, 2024, over 50 Department of Medicine faculty have transitioned into this new track. These faculty hold a range of clinical and teaching responsibilities, leadership roles, and participate in various service and administrative activities. We’re pleased to share spotlights on a few of the new members of this track.
Spotlights on Clinical Practice faculty
Dr. Julia Becke
Assistant professor of clinical practice
Dr. Julia Becke is an outpatient internist at the General Internal Medicine Clinic-Roosevelt (GIMC) and a dance enthusiast. During her clinic days, she provides primary care to a broad patient panel, including wellness visits, complex chronic disease management, gender-affirming care, and specialized care specifically for dancers.
She is also a clinical mentor at the GIMC, working with residents for at least 2-3 half-days each week. Additionally, she works with MS3 students during their outpatient clinical medicine block at GIMC for a total of four weeks each year. Working with learners is a source of joy for Becke, as she enjoys learning from residents and supporting them as they grow in their skills and careers. She also appreciates the energy and curiosity that students bring to rotations.
Outside of clinic, Becke is currently piloting the Artist-in-Residence program at the UW Memory Hub on First Hill. An avid dancer and instructor, she teaches dance classes for people with dementia and is building a short choreographed piece with her current classes based on paintings from the Frye Museum collection. They will present their work at the Frye in December. “I hope to build the dance class program over time to eventually include both dance majors and health sciences students interested in non-medication forms of support for our patients living with dementia.”
Dr. Seth Cohen
Associate professor of clinical practice
Dr. Seth Cohen attends on the infectious disease consult service at UWMC-Northwest, seeing a broad variety of general infectious diseases, travel-related infections, HIV, and infections related to oncology and transplant patients. He also has clinic 2-3 half-days per week, where he manages an HIV primary care panel and sees infectious disease and travel medicine consults. Cohen is constantly learning and thoroughly enjoys the clinical work at Northwest.
Cohen is passionate about teaching and frequently gives talks to trainees at all levels. He co-directs Tropical Medicine (MED 561), an interdisciplinary elective in the medical school in which students discuss healthcare delivery in low-resource settings. In the course, Cohen and his colleagues discuss not only parasites and neglected tropical diseases typically associated with the field, but also other topics such as climate change, humanitarian emergencies, and the ethics of working abroad. In prior years, he also co-directed the Clinical Infectious Disease elective at the School of Medicine.
Since 2020, he has served as the medical director of infection prevention at UW Medical Center where he oversees quality improvement efforts, outbreak investigations, and work on making the hospital environment safer for patients. “It’s a fascinating behind the scenes look at how hospitals operate while thinking about systems-based opportunities to improve care,” Cohen said. “I’m fortunate to work with two incredible associate medical directors as well as a very talented team of infection preventionists.”
Dr. Molly Anderson Rosenthal
Assistant professor of clinical practice
Dr. Molly Rosenthal is an adult hospitalist at UWMC Montlake, Harborview Medical Center (HMC), and occasionally moonlights at UWMC-Northwest. She is actively involved in medical education, working with residents and learners in various capacities. Rosenthal facilitates just-in-time training sessions on serious illness communication and attends on the resident teaching service at each of her practice sites. Additionally, she serves as a mentor for projects related to inpatient incapacitation and guardianship applications.
Rosenthal finds that working with trainees not only keeps her up to date on current medical practices but also provides a refreshing change to her clinical schedule, offering opportunities for more longitudinal care. She enjoys being part of a team, particularly in the multi-disciplinary environment that includes professionals from fields like pharmacy and care coordination.
In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, Rosenthal is the Medical Director of HMC Utilization Management and serves as a Capacity Management Physician at HMC, with significant responsibilities across several committees. One of her recent initiatives is the creation of the HMC Physician Advisor program, where she enjoys collaborating with registered nurses (RNs) to advocate for equitable pay for the valuable services the group provides at Harborview.