Family Medicine Orange County Medical Center

A model from the Patient-Centered Medical Home, here you will encounter an outstanding educational environment with some of the best outcomes in the nation. Our program includes direct patient responsibility that is high tech-high touch with a large and diverse patient base. You will also benefit from the supervision of our expert physician faculty and our large community involvement.

We are a cutting-edge program whose enthusiastic faculty has woven diverse interests and backgrounds into an innovative and dynamic residency program. We offer an excellent ambulatory and inpatient care experience to a culturally diverse population, in a supportive and caring environment.

Orange County’s Family Medicine Residency Program reflects Kaiser Permanente’s long-standing tradition of providing medical residents with the skills needed to become accomplished and compassionate physicians. Here you will find the best of all educational worlds, including direct patient responsibility and a large and varied patient base. You will also benefit from the exceptional—and exacting—supervision of our board-certified physician faculty.

Family Medicine is a well-respected and integral part of patient care at our Medical Center. Emphasis is on the educational experience, not on menial tasks. We offer faculty with extensive teaching experience.

The Family Medicine residency is the only freestanding residency program in the Medical Center. Under the auspices of a young and enthusiastic faculty eager to share knowledge, you will learn a unique style of ambulatory care—one you may pursue upon completing your residency with us.

Kaiser Permanente is among the nation’s largest and most highly regarded managed care organizations (one in five insured Californians is a Kaiser Permanente Health Plan member). As a member of our residency program, you will learn to practice cost-effective and caring medicine, with extensive use of information technology and chronic disease management. Procedural training is emphasized, providing competence in gynecological procedures, minor surgery, and low-risk obstetrics.

Adult Medicine

Our Adult Medicine inpatient service is staffed by Family Medicine residents and attending physicians. There are 2 teams: a FM team and an IM team. Each of the teams consist of an intern and a second/third year resident, as well as a Family Medicine attending (FM team) or Internal Medicine attending (IM team). The teams each manage an average of 6 patients. A night float system replaced our night call responsibilities.

First-year residents spend four weeks caring for patients in the ICU, gaining experience in Intensive Care. Working with intensivists, you will assist in the management of critically ill patients.

Residents spend three weeks studying under the tutelage of staff cardiologists and three weeks with staff neurologists. Primary emphasis is on testing and common outpatient problems.

Pediatrics

Your first year includes a four-week rotation on inpatient pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). In addition, two weeks in the nursery will emphasize normal newborns. Two weeks focus on ambulatory Pediatrics.

During your second year you will spend two weeks focusing on pediatrics in Kaiser Permanente Pediatric offices and four weeks in the Kaiser Permanente inpatient Pediatrics Wards.

Third-year residents obtain further clinical exposure with a four-week rotation in outpatient general and subspecialty Pediatrics.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Residents have two 3-week Ob/Gyn blocks in both the R1 year and one 3-week block in R2 year. Residents work closely with innovative obstetricians, some of who are actively involved in research. At the end of your rotations, you can expect to have delivered over 20 babies (with more available if desired).

The Gynecology experience emphasizes ambulatory gynecological problems. Nexplanon, IUD placement, endometrial biopsies and other gynecology procedures are also taught. High-risk Obstetrics and Gynecology electives are available in your third year.

Surgery

In your second year, you spend two weeks in the Outpatient Surgery Clinic learning minor surgical procedures, breast lump evaluation, and pre- and postoperative care.

Minor surgery procedural skills are taught and reinforced in the Family Medicine Center’s Minor Surgery Clinic and many other rotations throughout your residency.

ENT – Urology – Ophthalmology

These three rotations are each taught in one or two-week time blocks and may be taken in any year of your residency. They focus primarily on outpatient care; however, operating room time is available for residents seeking inpatient exposure. Residents work closely with attending subspecialists, seeing a wide variety of problems commonly encountered by family physicians.

Human Behavior and Psychiatry

A two-year longitudinal rotation in Behavioral Medicine on site at the Family Medicine Center allows you to develop essential skills in this area taught by our psychiatrists, psychologists, and family physicians.

Second- and third-year residents participate in a bimonthly Behavioral Medicine/Psychiatry afternoon clinic, which includes small group seminars on specific psychiatric or psychosocial issues as well as counseling of adults and children. Here they may work in partnership with a Behavioral Medicine specialist, who has extensive background in family, couple, and adolescent counseling as well as eating disorders.

As a first-year resident, you will spend two weeks working with the Chemical Dependency Recovery and Rehabilitation Programs as well as with other areas of Psychiatry. Electives in child or adolescent Psychiatry or inpatient Psychiatry are available.

Orthopedics/Sports Medicine

Residents have a two-week rotation in Orthopedics during their first year and at least another 4 more weeks on the rotation during their second or third year. Residents work one-on-one with either an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine physician, with emphasis on ambulatory care. Opportunities are available to work with a high school team physician

Physical Medicine/Pain Management

You spend four weeks working with Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Pain Management specialists. You gain exposure to a large variety of musculoskeletal problems, chronic pain, testing procedures, and treatments, and spend time on inpatient rehabilitation.

Community Medicine

Our program has a Community Medicine Junior Faculty Fellow assisting our faculty in providing an outstanding Community Medicine teaching experience. Residents spend one week with CAST (Child Abuse Services Team for Orange County). Starting in the second year, they also have a two-week rotation in both the second and third years of training. In addition, residents spend time on a longitudinal basis in partnership with Latino Health Access, Lestonnac Clinic, and working with the homeless via the Illumination Foundation. Our residents and teaching faculty work along with lay health workers to provide essential medical services, including home visits when needed. Residents also participate in our new mental health clinic for uninsured individuals. These rotations provide invaluable education in use of community resources for those who have no medical care “home.” Our program has received multiple local and national Kaiser Permanente community service awards for these efforts, as well as over $1 million grant funding from the State of California to help our uninsured neighbors.

Electives

There are numerous opportunities for personalized electives within our health care system. During your second and third years, a total of over four months of electives can be used to complement your residency education. Many residents participate in international rotation experiences.

Family Medicine Center

Throughout your residency, you will spend a significant amount of time in our off-site, culturally diverse, outpatient Family Medicine Center, under the supervision of a teaching staff of more than 25 full-time, board-certified family physicians, many of whom hold university teaching appointments.
In your first year, you spend two half-days each week in the Family Medicine Center; in your second year, three half-days each week; and in your third year, four-five half days each week. At least one faculty member is assigned to supervise and teach at all times.

Our residents are assigned a group of patients whom they follow throughout training, in both outpatient and inpatient settings, with the outpatient experience providing a spectrum of acute and chronic diagnoses. Preventive health care, prenatal obstetrical care, and minor surgical and dermatologic procedures are also emphasized. Laboratory and radiology services, patient education programs, and consultations with various specialties are readily available.

Our residency is affiliated with UCI School of Medicine and is a training site for many medical students from UCI, UCR, and Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine.