Fellows | Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate & Graduate Medical Education Northern California

There are 3 fellows each year with their own areas of interests and plans for the future. The program gives them a firm grounding in general cardiology, but also allows them the flexibility to focus on a specific sub-specialty, if desired.

Welcome: Chief Fellow, Kent Feng, MD

Welcome to the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California (NC) Cardiology Fellowship Program! Thank you for your interest in our fellowship.

There are several important aspects to our program that I think should be highlighted: the quality of training, the emphasis and investment on each fellow’s professional development, the commitment of the program leadership to continual improvement, and the great camaraderie of the group.

The structure of the KPNC system is such that patients in need of specialty cardiovascular care are funneled through our two cardiac specialty hubs (San Francisco and Santa Clara). Because of this and the fact that KPNC has over 4 million members, there is an enriched, diverse population of patients with cardiovascular diseases that we see routinely in our hospitals and clinics. During our training, we get exposed to all aspects of cardiology: invasive procedures including cardiac device implantation, cardiac imaging including cardiac CT and MRI, innovative structural heart interventions, and subspecialty care including adult congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. As a result, the program graduates well-rounded cardiologists capable of caring for patients with a wide variety of cardiovascular conditions.

Professional development is prioritized by the fellowship program. Our program director, Jonathan Zaroff, and the faculty are invested in each fellow. For those interested in clinical research, the Division of Research has some of the largest research databases in the world and houses leaders in the fields of clinical informatics, epidemiology, and health care delivery science. The program is also committed to cultivating other interests, such as medical education, quality improvement, and health leadership.

The leadership prioritizes communication with the fellows and is highly receptive to feedback. Fellow-driven initiatives and suggestions are implemented promptly. Change can truly happen rapidly, allowing the fellows to take ownership of our program’s development.

Lastly, the great camaraderie of our fellow and attending groups is a truly unique aspect of our program. Whether it is clinically supporting each other in the hospital or enjoying ourselves at the happy hours, fellows and attendings are colleagues in truest sense of the word.

Thank you again for taking the time to learn about our program. If you choose to join us, you will receive outstanding preparation for a career in general cardiology or a solid foundation on your path to sub-specialty training. Every year our fellows secure desirable employment opportunities and/or positions in advanced training programs both in the Bay Area and around the country. We all look forward to meeting you and please reach out if you have any questions!