Because our residency applicants have consistently expressed an interest in Bay Area internships that are linked with Stanford Anesthesia we are looking to strengthen our relationships with local programs.
Stanford Anesthesia is pleased to announce a growing relationship with the internship at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Michael Coppolino is the Program Director and we are working on getting an NRMP # for two positions reserved for residents that match at Stanford Anesthesia. This adds to the 8 categorical positions with internship at Stanford, the four internship slots at the County Hospital Santa Clara (btw these Stanford/Santa Clara Valley positions are listed under Transitional Years in NRMP), and the 2 pediatric intern positions at Lucille Packard Hospital as part of the combined 5 year pediatrics anesthesia residency.
A couple of interns who are at SF Kaiser now wrote the following about their experience.
I chose Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Preliminary year program based on it’s proximity to Stanford (36 miles) and the opportunity it provided to explore the world class city of San Francisco. I also had a personal curiosity to learn about the Kaiser Permanente systems of health care delivery. Little did I know that it was the best decision I could have made. The warmth and kindness I felt on my first day of orientation was a welcomed relief and helped to keep my my fears of internship at bay. Everything functions like a well-oiled machine, and coming from a county program at USC, it was a complete one-eighty. I feel like I actually have time to focus on medicine because the ancillary support is phenomenal. The clinical atmosphere is one of collaboration and support. The attendings are extremely nice and encouraging. The ICU experience is unparalleled and I feel like I am an integral part of a team and that my voice is heard. In addition, the flexibility in my schedule is a tremendous strength of the San Francisco Program. The Chief Residents are supportive and helpful in making the schedule work for everyone and the camaraderie amongst the class allows for flexible exchanges. There is a real effort to promote a balanced life for us. I?ve been able to attend every important event in my social life this year. However, something that I think is understated but incredibly essential and possibly the most important is the support we get from our Program Director, Dr. Coppolino, who works every day to better our schedules, workload, and education. He has a genuine interest in hearing our opinions and trying to put them into action. He knows each of us on a personal level, and he will support us in any way possible. I think that we sometimes take for granted that he is so accessible and innovative, but it is a rare gift in a residency and has definitely shaped my experience. If I were faced with the decision to do internship over again there is no doubt in my mind that I would pick Kaiser-SF in a heartbeat.
I chose to do my internship at Kaiser San Francisco because of the program’s focus on resident learning and supportive environment. I was drawn to the curriculum, the wealth of clinical and research opportunities available to residents, and the diverse patient population. As a future anesthesiologist with an interest in cardiac anesthesia, the strong cardiology training also appealed to me. During my time here, I have been exposed to a wide spectrum of general internal medicine issues during my wards and ICU blocks and have also had the opportunity to delve deeper into various other specialties and internal medicine subspecialties through many electives. The faculty are excellent mentors who take time to teach, both in didactic sessions and at the bedside. Residents are given the right balance of supervision and support but also increasing independence as we progress through our training. The program takes ACGME guidelines seriously and is extremely responsive to resident feedback, and concerns are addressed in a timely manner. HealthConnect, our electronic medical system, is user-friendly, efficient, and streamlines patient care. Perhaps most importantly, there is a strong camaraderie among the residents, and I feel extremely fortunate to work with such a diverse, friendly, and helpful group of people.
Other information.
Name of Program: San Francisco–Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
ACGME program number: 1400512060
Address 2425 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, California 94115
Program Director email: Michael.Coppolino@kp.org
Comments by previous interns: Outstanding interns. Learn EPIC electronic medical record system which is same as Stanford. Strengths of the program include the cardiology attendings and the ICU rotation (it is referral center for bay area kaisers). Critical care experience good fit for anesthesia. Prelims encouraged to continue/ finish projects from medical school.
# of available prelim positions: 8 (2 reserved for Stanford Anesthesia)
# of available categorical positions: 12
Interview days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings
Rotation schedule: Wards=4-4.5 months (No continuity clinic during yr for prelims); ICU=2 months, Elective=3 to 4 months (two week blocks can be research at Stanford Anesthesia or OR anesthesia at Stanford); Night float= ½ to 1 month; ER=1 month “
Salary: $55,849 (for 2012)
Vacation: 3 wks plus 1 wk Educational Leave (flexible and need not involve conference)
Other info: A joint Internal Medicine / Preventive Medicine residency exists with USCF/UC Berkeley and a new Patient Safety Fellowship which add to the academic opportunities.
Educational Stipend=$500 for PG-1
Website:
http://residency.kp.org/ncal/residency_programs/internal_medicine/san_francisco/index.html