Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Program

Family Medicine Analyst Verified · Sep 15, 2026

Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Program

Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Program is a residency program specializing in Family Medicine, located in Tacoma, Washington, directed by Amy M. Chabitnoy, MD and coordinated by Amy Lind. The program accepts applications through December 31, 2026 and holds an accreditation status of Initial. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (253) 441-2634. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

A tribally operated residency sponsored by the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority in Tacoma, serving American Indian and Alaska Native patients from more than 200 tribes across Pierce County. It has held ACGME accreditation since July 2018, carries Osteopathic Recognition, and is a small 4-4-4 program that admits both osteopathic and allopathic graduates. Continuity care is based at the Authority's own clinic, while inpatient family medicine and pediatrics are shared with partners including MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children's, and obstetrics is completed in Tacoma and Auburn. Distinctive elements include a weekly osteopathic manipulative treatment clinic led by a neuromusculoskeletal specialist, auricular acupuncture training for interns, a required chemical dependency rotation with a medication-assisted treatment team, and Indian Health Service selectives that include a placement in Dillingham, Alaska. The program states that elders and traditional knowledge keepers take part in teaching and that traditional healing practices are integrated alongside conventional care.

Who it fits

An applicant intending to practice in Indigenous, urban underserved or rural Indian Health Service settings who is interested in osteopathic and traditional healing approaches.

Research intensity

Low; the program details clinical rotations, osteopathic training and community engagement without describing a research curriculum or scholarly project requirement.

Career orientation

Primary Care / Community Practice.

Important

The program states an explicit mission of graduating physicians for Indigenous and underserved communities and asks applicants to address their interest in tribal-based care. It requires two letters of recommendation, passing Step or Level 1 and 2, US citizenship or permanent residency, and states that it does not sponsor visas.

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