Family Medicine Santa Rosa - Curriculum

• Team of two PGY-1s, one PGY-2, one PGY-3, and 1-2 medical students, supervised by family medicine and hospitalist attending physicians.
• The rounding team schedule is 6am-6pm, while the admitting shift PGY-2 year is a 12 hour swing shift from 10am-10pm Monday-Wednesday.
• 24/7 access to specialists help develop competency and skill while providing the highest quality, equitable care to all of our patients regardless of insurance type
• Care for medically complex patients drawn from a large catchment area, including uninsured, housing insecure, and underserved
• Robust procedure training as we are first call for all inpatient procedures (paracentesis, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture), as well as formal training in Point Of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for inpatient medicine
• Morning rounds, formal didactics during and off rotation, and simulation training
• Team hard cap of 12 patients
• No overnight or 24 hour shifts

Our three-year brain-behavioral medicine curriculum combines outpatient and inpatient training, led by on-site psychologist and psychiatrist faculty. Residents receive:

• Ongoing faculty support in the family medicine center
• Focused didactics and 1:1 learning on common psychiatric conditions
• Training in evaluation, diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and behavioral interventions
• Familiarity with Kaiser Permanente mental health services

We have designed an innovative set of immersive learning experiences for 4 weeks during each year of residency to catalyze each class’s learning as they move from one level of training to the next.

• R1: Clinic Immersion: The first-year curriculum immerses interns in our Family Medicine Center . Begin and end your R1 year with a focus on clinical skill building and community medicine.
• R2: Advanced Clinical Skills: Expand your skills with leadership training and advocacy work. Engage in advanced clinical training to set you up for success as you transition to second and third year senior resident duties inside and outside the hospital. Continue to engage in community work by spending time in the garden and kitchen at Ceres Community Project.
• R3: Leadership and Professional Development: Third year residents broaden their expertise as teachers and practice leaders with a primary care leadership curriculum that prepare you to be a superb clinician-leader in any community setting around the world.

Our program engages residents in community health through longitudinal curricular experiences with our affiliated partner Petaluma Health Center, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) at which all residents see patients regularly throughout their entire three years. Our curriculum encompasses population health, public health, leadership, and advocacy for justice in healthcare and other social determinants of health. Our goal is that graduates humbly listen to the community and lead sustainable change to improve health equity.

• Residents interact with our most vulnerable community members and explore the population-based and structural supports that help maximize the total health of all members of a diverse community.
• Experiences during community medicine rotations include (but not limited to): 
  • KP ACCESS (Access to Community-Centered Specialty Services)
  • Jewish Community Free Clinic
  • Hearts of Sonoma County
  • West County Health Center
  • Ceres Community Project
• Didactic curriculum in community medicine, population health, public health, structural competency, health equity, and advocacy for justice in healthcare

Family medicine residents develop comprehensive dermatology skills across three years. First year focuses on skin lesion assessment, teledermatology (24-hour virtual consults), and biopsy techniques. Second year covers primary care dermatology including acne, dermatitis, and systemic manifestations. Graduates are skilled in systematic skin screening, lesion assessment, and outpatient biopsies. 

Thursday afternoon “long didactics” feature faculty, residents, and specialists covering different clinical areas monthly. Every other Thursday offers R1-specific foundational lectures, while senior residents participate in self-directed learning time for electives, scholarly projects, and board preparation.

Special Sessions Include:

• Focused workshops (casting/splinting, disaster simulation, procedures)
• Personal & Professional Development groups
• Resident-program leadership meetings
• Community advocacy training

Optional program for residents to earn distinctions tailored to their interests using part of the 24 total weeks of elective time. Distinctions currently offered: Geriatrics, Research/Academic, Sports Medicine, Obstetrics. LGBTQ health distinction is in development 

Requirements include:

1. Concentrated Experience: 100 hours beyond residency requirements in a chosen area.
2. Deeper Education: 20 CME hours or equivalent study
3. Scholarship: One didactic presentation plus two broader dissemination outputs (e.g., publications, presentations, QI projects).

There is flexibility to design your own distinction track to meet the above requirements 

• 24 total weeks of specialized training, including completing optional distinction track requirements.
• Electives may take place in in inpatient or outpatient settings, at KP Santa Rosa or a partner site. 
• Continuity clinics take place on elective rotations, with the exception of away electives that allows for travel/Global Health, with travel funding available.
• Electives include, but are not limited to: Medical and Surgical subspecialties, Advanced OB, Hospital Medicine, Integrative/Lifestyle Medicine, Sports Medicine, Global Health,  LGBTQ Care, Community Medicine, Geriatrics, Palliative Care, and Clinic-Based Procedures

Our Emergency Department services a diverse patient population, which includes pediatric to geriatric cases and patients of all insurance statuses. Residents are the only learners in the Emergency Department, providing an optimal learning environment. Residents have a dedicated Emergency Medicine rotation, but also care for patients in the ED while on other inpatient and subspecialty services. The Simulation Lab is utilized for specific scenarios and complements the rotational experience. 

Continuity clinic is the foundation of our Family Medicine residency, providing personalized care to a diverse patient population across all life stages. Residents and faculty practice full-scope outpatient care, including gynecology, dermatology, musculoskeletal procedures, pediatrics, and prenatal care.

• Residents build panels from ~100 to 400–500 patients to ensure continuity.
• Each team has a dedicated medical assistant.
• Clinic time increases from 1–3 to 3–5 half-days weekly by year three.
• Third year residents take on teaching and leadership via our leadership and quality improvement curriculum.
• Telephone and video visits start in year one with faculty supervision until residents gain independence.

Sonoma County has a large senior population, providing excellent training opportunities in geriatric medicine. Our curriculum combines longitudinal and focused experiences to prepare you for comprehensive elder care, including a 2 week Palliative Care rotation, a 2 week Geriatrics rotation, home visits, and a longitudinal experience in Long Term Care. Over PGY2 and PGY3.

Clinical Experiences:

• Extended care facility rotations to learn non-hospital patient management
• At least six home visits to understand aging in place
• Geriatrics, hospice, and community-based care experiences

Educational Components:

• Didactic seminars on geriatric medicine
• Training in geriatric assessment tools
• Ethical decision-making in end-of-life care
• Integration of geriatric principles throughout all rotations

This comprehensive approach ensures you graduate confident in caring for older adults across all settings – from preventive care to end-of-life support.

We believe gynecology is an essential part of family medicine, and family medicine is equally central to gynecology. Our Family Medicine and Ob-Gyn faculty collaborate to provide a rich learning experience with mentorship from both specialties and clinics in both departments. This rotation emphasizes patient-centered care, cultural humility, and inclusive practices, including gender-expansive language and workflows that promote equity for nonbinary and transgender patients.

• General Gynecology Clinic
  Manage a broad range of gynecologic issues, from infections and hormonal disorders to contraception and cancer screening.
• Procedure Clinic
  Focus on long-acting contraception methods and endometrial biopsies with hands-on procedural practice.
• SAB and TAB Procedure Clinic (optional)
  Exposure to managing early pregnancy loss and elective terminations, with alternatives for those opting out.
• Colposcopy Clinic
  Develop skills in colposcopy and cervical cancer screening, including managing abnormal pap smears.

Through our partnership with the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, all residents complete a 100-hour online Integrative Medicine curriculum designed specifically for medical residents. This ACGME-aligned program addresses chronic illness and stress-related disorders through evidence-based integrative approaches.

Program Features:

• Self-paced online learning with 24/7 access
• Certificate of completion with access to 85+ hours of advanced content
• Rotation-specific curriculum integrated throughout training
• Optional 200-hour advanced certificate track
• Healthcare Professional Wellbeing Course included

Mind-Body Health Training is also included as part of the Integrative Medicine curriculum. This includes:

• Personal health goal setting and self-reflection
• Spirituality in medicine with chaplain and palliative care teams
• Creative outlets: reflective writing, arts, and music therapy
• HeartMath stress management and resilience techniques

This comprehensive approach ensures you develop skills in both integrative patient care and personal wellness practices essential for sustainable medical practice.

• Our integrative medicine curriculum includes time for self-reflection, personal health goal setting, and respect for the body, mind, and spiritual aspects of the resident experience
• Learn more about spirituality in medicine with the hospital chaplain and palliative care team
• Support for reflective writing, creative arts, music, and other tools for self-inquiry and insight
• Training in mind-body techniques such as HeartMath to manage stress, revitalize energy, and restore mental and emotional balance, and resilience.

Caring for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions is one of the most important skills for a family physician. Residents learn how to manage these injuries through the eyes of specialists in Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Podiatry.

• Didactics, workshops, team sport, and mass event coverage. Residents learn to care for uncomplicated fractures, learn to recognize when a consult is necessary, master physical examinations, and aspirate/inject joints and soft tissues.
• Formal and informal training in musculoskeletal ultrasound with opportunities for more advanced training in point of care ultrasound (POCUS).

Residents train 1:1 with nurse midwives, family physicians, and obstetricians across multiple settings to develop competency in low-risk obstetrics, including prenatal and postpartum care. High-risk obstetrics electives are available for those pursuing OB fellowship.

Clinical Experience:

• 12 weeks on Labor & Delivery in first and second years
• High-volume department with 150+ deliveries monthly
• Supervision by family medicine faculty, obstetricians, and certified nurse midwives
• Additional L&D shifts available during elective time
• Continuity deliveries encouraged through structured workflows

Training Settings:

• Family medicine center (prenatal care in your own continuity clinic)
• Obstetrics and gynecology clinic
• Labor and delivery unit

Inclusive Care Focus: Gender-expansive language and workflows ensure equitable care for all patients, including nonbinary and transgender individuals.

Our comprehensive pediatric curriculum spans all three years to ensure graduates feel confident caring for patients from birth to adolescence. Residents train with family medicine and pediatric faculty across multiple Kaiser facilities.

Clinical Rotations:

• First year: 6 weeks inpatient/outpatient pediatrics at KP Santa Rosa
• Second year: 6 weeks inpatient/outpatient pediatrics across KP Santa Rosa and KP Walnut Creek
• Third year: 7 weeks inpatient, outpatient, and emergency pediatrics at KP Santa Rosa, and KP Antioch

Training Sites:

• Santa Rosa family medicine center and pediatric clinics
• Walnut Creek and Antioch Kaiser facilities for inpatient and emergency pediatrics

Continuity Experience:

• 20%+ pediatric visits in your own continuity clinic
• 10-25% pediatric patients on resident panels
• Birth to adolescence care in family medicine setting

Community Opportunities: Teen education programs, mentorship at Ceres Community Project, and high school sports physicals throughout Sonoma County.

– Regularly scheduled, protected Personal and Professional Development (P&PD) sessions facilitated by faculty to provide check-in and support during this dramatic time of growth and experience

– Monthly facilitated Balint group to creatively reflect on the doctor-patient relationship, to help build empathy for the patient and their experience.

• Residents have access to Kaiser Permanente’s large patient database and regional Division of Research
• Full-time senior research project manager supports faculty and residents.
• Residents complete a scholarly activity project and a QI/PI project with faculty guidance.
• Annual “Scholarly Shark Tank” event for pitching research and QI/PI ideas.
• Third-year residents lead patient-centered practice improvement projects
•  Funding available for conference presentations.

• State-of-the-art simulation lab with high-fidelity mannequins for procedures and emergencies (e.g., lumbar puncture, intubation).
• OSCEs with standardized patients focus on diagnoses, communication, ethics, and teamwork, followed by video review and debrief.
• Each resident receives a handheld ultrasound; additional devices available hospital- and clinic-wide.
• Ultrasound training covers heart, lung, abdomen, vascular, OB, musculoskeletal, and bedside procedures with hands-on and virtual sessions.

• Two-week General Surgery rotation in second year with 1:1 surgical attending mentorship.
• Experience includes first-assist in OR, postop care, sterile technique, and emergent vs. elective care assessment.
• Third-year focuses on outpatient surgical subspecialties: office procedures, wound care, ENT, breast, colorectal surgery.
• Learn preoperative risk assessment, testing, wound care, and pain management.
• Curriculum aims to build procedural skills and perioperative knowledge within a multidisciplinary team.