College of MedicineMD ProgramStudent AffairsCommunity Hosting and Homestay Program

Community Hosting and Homestay Program

Support Washington’s Future Physicians

The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine was founded on the vision of “inspiring people to solve problems in challenging health care environments.” To help realize that vision, the college is committed to developing connections between our students and the community in which they will train.

Our MD students will study and gain clinical experience at one of our four campuses located across the state in Everett, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver. Students will spend the majority of their first two years on the Spokane campus for their classes; however, there will be individual weeks, called ‘clinical campus weeks’, during the first two years that the students will be in the city they will be assigned to for their third and fourth years.

In order to welcome, support, and orient our students, we are looking for families and individuals in the local communities of Everett, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver who would be willing to host a student during their clinical campus weeks.

Homestay Hosts in Everett, Tri-Cities and Vancouver will be assigned a student and will provide housing for them during each clinical campus week. In addition, they will be asked to plan activities or events during the clinical campus weeks to introduce their student to members of the community. Spokane Hosts will be listed in a Spokane Community Connection Directory for students to make connections.

Community Connections

Community hosts introduce their student to community members over the course of the five Clinical Campus Weeks. These connections expand the student’s network in the local community. Although medical students have busy schedules during Clinical Campus Weeks, our hope is that the host and student can connect with a community or organization during this time.

Local Exposure

Community hosts coordinate engaging activities with the student that highlight the locale each Clinical Campus Week. The goal is to present local recreational and cultural opportunities to the student as well as provide a moment of fun and relaxation during a student’s busy week of clinical experiences.

Community Nights

The college will host a community night event for all students and community hosts during select Clinical Campus Weeks. These events are held on or near campus and allow hosts and students to socialize and hear local and WSU speakers present on relevant topics regarding the local and greater WSU community. Community nights promote togetherness between all hosts and students while offering opportunities for local engagement.

Homestays

(Excluding Spokane hosts and students)

Community hosts in Everett, Tri-Cities and Vancouver provide homestays for their student during each Clinical Campus Week. Homestays help minimize expenses for students traveling away from Spokane. In some instances, students may not require a homestay due to family being local.

Homestay Host Responsibilities

  • Provide lodging within a 40 minute drive of campus.
  • Provide the student internet access within their lodging.
  • Provide a private bedroom for the student’s use during the Clinical Campus Weeks.
  • Provide access to cookware and kitchen space for the student’s use during the Clinical Campus Weeks.
  • Provide the student a house key for use during the Clinical Campus Weeks.

Homestay hosts are not required to provide transportation or regular meals for students. A WSU staff person will conduct a site visit of a Homestay host’s residence before the first Clinical Campus Week to verify the residence meets stated hosting requirements.

Now Accepting Applications for the 2023–2024 Period!

First Year Students

  • October 23–27, 2023
  • January 29–February 2, 2024
  • March 25–29, 2024

Second Year Students

  • September 11–15, 2023
  • February 26–March 1, 2024

Become a Host

If you are interested in becoming a host, please contact the Student Affairs office.

Email Student Affairs

Questions?

We have answers in our frequently asked questions.

FAQs

What Students are Saying

“Absolutely amazing family!! I loved staying with them SO much! They were extremely welcoming and helpful :)”

Sarah Peterson, Everett Clinical Campus

“My host family has been amazing and very engaged in my med school experience and they already expressed enthusiasm toward seeing me again next year!”

Alisha Nguyen, Everett Clinical Campus

“My hosts were such a joy! I feel so incredibly grateful to have been placed with them and create a relationship with them. I know it will last long after my medical school journey!  were such a joy! I feel so incredibly grateful to have been placed with them and create a relationship with them. I know it will last long after my medical school journey!”

Kelsey Yenney, Vancouver Clinical Campus

What Homestay Hosts are Saying

“We want WSU medical students to fall in love with Eastern Washington and the Tri-Cities so that they consider setting up their practice here when they finish medical school.”

Karen & Keith Brutzman, Hosts Tri-Cities Community

“Connecting future doctors with our medical community and residents helps the future doctors to possibly provide medical services locally.”

Kris Troyer, Host Tri-Cities Community

“My husband and I are both healthcare professionals. We were fortunate to have many kind individuals help us during medical school. This is our way of paying it forward, and we hope that our students will continue to pay it forward so that we may all belong to a supportive and generous medical community”

Rachel & Erik Larson, Host Vancouver Community