Family Medicine San Diego Medical Center
Welcome to the Residency Training Program in Family Medicine at the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center.
We are proud to provide an excellent, practical and flexible educational experience.
The mission of the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Family Medicine Residency program is to transform excellent medical students into highly competent and compassionate physician leaders in their communities. Our experienced, diverse, and talented faculty is committed to the personal growth and professional development of each resident. We strive to provide a perfect balance between formal teaching and hands-on experience. Residents practice evidence-based medicine in a comprehensive, integrated system, using a state-of-the-art electronic medical record. Graduates have the flexibility to practice in any setting and are prepared to provide care to diverse patient populations. Our program aims to balance rigorous education, service, and reasonable quality of life, while living in “America’s Finest City.”
Our program offers a strong evidence-based educational experience that includes:
- Direct patient responsibility for a large diverse population
- A highly-structured educational curriculum with intense faculty involvement
- Innovative teaching and educational exposure including the use of telemedicine, a Kaiser-issued personal iPhone, and point of care ultrasound training
- A focus on preventive care, health promotion and disease prevention
- A strong commitment to community service
- The nation’s largest electronic health record system, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect™
- Team-based care
- Patient-Centered Medical Home (level 3 = highest level)
Kaiser Permanente in San Diego currently has one of the largest Family Medicine Departments in the world with over 200 Family Physicians on staff. The commitment to Primary Care is supported by our structure and strong presence in the medical center. Thirteen San Diego area Kaiser Permanente medical offices, including the Family Medicine Residency medical office, have been officially recognized by the NCQA as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).
Our faculty has a wealth of teaching experience with many holding faculty appointments at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Our faculty members have been chosen for their clinical expertise, approachability and genuine interest in teaching. Although we are proud of our managed care roots, we feel our residents must be trained to function well in any practice setting. Kaiser Permanente residency graduates have chosen highly diverse careers and are sought out after residency for their expertise in all aspects of Family Medicine including matching in their top choice fellowships.
Strong Academic Experience
Kaiser Permanente is at the forefront of providing quality care and top research. The organization emphasizes and supports the importance of Family Medicine. Residents graduate experts in ambulatory care. We support the academic experience by hosting medical student rotations through our department. Our faculty is enthusiastic, experienced and committed to Kaiser Permanente, Family Medicine, and resident education. There are over 1400 staff physicians at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego including board-certified specialists to help provide lectures, consultations and one-on-one elective experiences that prepare residents for any anticipated practice setting. Residents also have free access to numerous evidence-based web sites.
High Volume of Experience and Responsibility
Kaiser Permanente is a growing, stable, well-resourced organization providing complete medical care for a large diverse patient base, over 600,000 Health Plan members in San Diego County. This volume allows the residents to have a wealth of clinical experiences including caring for very challenging, sick patients. Our residency provides an exceptional experience in all areas of medicine in Hospital Medicine, Pediatrics and Obstetrics. Residents are given an opportunity to manage patients independently with adequate support, if needed, as part of our program.
Community Service
Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit organization. We have affiliations with La Maestra, Neighborhood Health, Vista Clinic, San Diego Family Care, Planned Parenthood and the San Diego County Department of Health. These relationships allow our residents to practice in a variety of community clinics and settings. The Family Medicine Residency does numerous community service projects each year, including performing free sports physicals at local high schools, shoe and backpack drives, and other health promotion activities such as the annual Kaiser Permanente San Diego Thrive Half Marathon and 5K. We also work closely with the Boys and Girls Club of San Diego providing educational programs and promoting health. Our residents have established a Summer Urban Fellowship program for high school and college students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them get into college and pursue health-related careers.
Commitment to Diversity
We are honored to be named the 2014 recipients of the Kaiser Permanente RJ Erickson National Diversity and Inclusion Award, which recognizes groups that have established and emphasized a commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are humbled to be recognized with this award and it is a testament to the values we place on recognizing the unique qualities and contributions from all people.
Kaiser Permanente’s strong commitment to clinical excellence, a global perspective on diversity, and a culture of inclusive leadership continues to inspire our workforce. Our diverse employees and physicians are transforming care delivery to meet the growing community demand for health improvement services that are accessible, affordable, equitable, and culturally and linguistically personalized.
Our Residency program seeks applicants who are committed to similar values.
Global Health
Our residency program has a strong commitment to volunteerism, humanitarian aid, and global health experiences. There are frequent opportunities to participate in our global health medical trips. In the year before the pandemic, our residents and faculty had been on trips to Thailand, Jamaica, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico. These trips involve multi-disciplinary teams including nursing students and physical therapists. Some of these trips involve partnering with other teaching institutions and nonprofit organizations.
Systems Based Practice, Leadership and Professionalism
Family Physicians are leaders in the community. Time is dedicated to residents for exploring their leadership potential; learning how health care systems are structured; and participating in practice improvement projects. Residents are expected to be an important part of their health care team in the Family Medicine Center. Residents meet monthly with the program director to provide feedback on the residency program. Residents participate in medical center and departmental committees. Residents also participate in advocacy efforts at the state and national level.
Excellent Resources and Opportunities
At the end of training, residents are prepared to practice Family Medicine in a variety of different settings.
Many of the Southern California residents chose to remain with Kaiser Permanente after completing training. Kaiser Permanente promotes work-life balance, excellent patient care and the sense of community among physicians and staff.
Many other residents who have completed Kaiser Permanente residencies have completed fellowships or have become physicians and leaders of other medical groups including community clinics, county health departments and academic medical centers.