All residents engage in scholarly activity before graduating, whether it be in the form of independent/collaborative clinical research, case reports, or quality improvement initiatives. Our house staff are well-supported by our collegial and accessible faculty at Santa Clara, but also have access to regional projects and faculty through the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
Our research program is tailored to each resident to meet their unique individual needs according to experience and career aspirations. Dr. Seema Pursnani, a cardiologist with a background in epidemiology/biostatistics, is the residency research director and is able to guide house staff to help meet their research goals. The program is also supported by GME research manager Cynthia Triplett, who is available to help guide study design, support IRB proposal development, and connect residents to regional partners at the Division of Research who support data programming and biostatistical analyses.
Our program leadership and many of our clinical attendings play an invaluable role in helping residents to foster, cultivate, and hone their intellectual curiosity in developing research projects. Residents may opt to get involved with existing research projects or develop one from scratch, with guidance from a clinical attending. Most residents present abstracts at local or national conferences and many go on to develop manuscripts for publication. Additionally, each spring, the program sponsors the Annual Resident Research Symposium whereby residents have the opportunity to present their projects to faculty, the medical group, and members of the community in a setting that showcases and celebrates their academic accomplishments.
Performance Improvement Projects
A vital component of our residency program is to properly prepare an individual for a career in medicine. Practicing physicians are expected to improve patient safety and to improve on systems processes that will enhance patient care. Kaiser Permanente is at the forefront of delivering high quality care. We have an integrated system of doctors, nurses, and ancillary services that work to provide exceptional treatment and improve patient outcomes.
Performance Improvement projects are one way of accomplishing this goal. We start with identifying an area of potential improvement, then modifying and measuring a process or procedure. The end goal is quality improvement and patient safety.
Our residency offers a dedicated Performance/Quality Improvement course curriculum to all our residents. This takes place in our “Garage” located on the second floor of the Medical Office Building on campus. Each resident is involved in multiple performance improvement project during their time in our residency program. Our residents have an opportunity to directly improve patient care and resident education.