Internal Medicine Santa Clara - Residents

Chief Residents 2023-2024

Mahza Alam, MD (Co-Chief)

Welcome to Kaiser Santa Clara Internal Medicine Residency Program!

My journey at KPSC began in high school as a volunteer and now I am extremely proud to call myself a Kaiser trainee. Our program offers a wide breadth of opportunities and is located in one of the most culturally diverse and innovative parts of our country. We encourage strong clinical skills, resident education and mentorship from day one. The program directors and administrative staff are here to support all of our endeavors whether it be in research, global rotations, community outreach or fellowship. Our curriculum offers residents the opportunity to cater their learning based off future career plans. For example, we have the CHOICE and community health track for residents who are interested in primary care or underserved populations respectively. The 2+2 system is also easily one of the biggest strengths of the program as it allows residents to work hard without becoming overcome with the symptoms of burnout. There is no shortage of learning while on the wards or ICU and our attendings are enthusiastic about providing the best clinical learning with the perfect balance of autonomy while on service. We are also lucky to have excellent support from ancillary staff which allows more time to focus on the medicine. I am grateful for my time here mainly due to the relationships I was able to build with those around me. You will not find a more supportive, generous, and selfless group of physicians. When I am not working, I enjoy exploring the Bay area, finding a new recipe to try out or spending time with my beautiful family.

Akshay Bommireddi, MD (Co-Chief)

Greetings and welcome to the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Kaiser Santa Clara!

I take great pride in being a part of the Kaiser Permanente family and firmly believe that there is no better place for patients, physicians, or trainees.

Our curriculum is designed to be innovative, encompassing elements such as point-of-care ultrasound and lifestyle medicine. We are especially proud of our unique 2+2 curriculum, which encourages a balanced approach between inpatient and outpatient clinical responsibilities. One of our distinctive strengths lies in our residents’ teaching abilities, as we welcome medical students from all over the country to rotate through our services. Additionally, we take pride in being a core teaching institution for Stanford University School of Medicine.

I sincerely believe the supportive community and experiences during my training here have not only helped me to succeed, but also shaped me into the physician that I am today.  During my time as a resident, I received invaluable mentorship and exposure to various aspects of cardiology, aligning with my future career aspirations. Our residents are not only dedicated professionals but also individuals who embrace a sense of fun, intellectual curiosity, and kindness. We are fortunate to have attending physicians who are enthusiastic about teaching and program directors who genuinely care about the success and well-being of each resident.

Beyond the hospital, you’ll find me hiking and golfing around the many spots the Bay Area has to offer and enjoying all the delicious cuisines in the area. Residency can be challenging, but in a supportive program like ours, there are endless opportunities to thrive. We hope you will join us!

Christie Moua, MD (Co-Chief)

Welcome to Kaiser Santa Clara Internal Medicine Residency Program!

Welcome to the Kaiser Santa Clara Internal Medicine Residency Program! It has been a dream come true to be a part of the Kaiser Permanente family: Initially, as a patient compassionately cared for by her Kaiser Permanente primary care physician and now, giving back to my community as a Kaiser Permanente chief resident and fellow.

Residency itself is already a challenge. Therefore, I knew I wanted to be medically trained at a program where I would not only learn from outstanding patient pathologies and leadership but where my wellness would be acknowledged via the 2+2 curriculum, which allows us to appreciate both inpatient and outpatient realms of medicine. In fact, it is through our unique CHOICE program and lifestyle medicine that reignited my passion in community medicine from working with the underserved populations.

Located in Silicon Valley, we have been fortunate to be equipped with state of the art technology to provide exceptional medical care for the diverse patient population here. In fact, the ancillary staff here is phenomenal thanks to their various backgrounds, providing me the utmost respect for them during our multidisciplinary rounds. I have been honored to work alongside attending physicians, preceptors, and mentors that have been role models to me and granted me the autonomy to learn and gain confidence in managing my patients. Subsequently, I have had the privilege to teach residents, interns, and medical students from all over the country that rotate through our program. I am proud to have always felt supported here from the faculty, especially when the majority has been medically trained here as well so they are well aware of the residency rigors, to my co-residents turned life-long comrades. This program has played an essential role in my personal development and has provided me with the chance to delve deeper into my interests locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. We thank you for your interest in our program and look forward to you joining us as we thrive in our medical endeavors.

What our residents are saying…

Paul Tran (PGY1)

As a Bay Area native, being a resident at KPSC has been an enriching, meaningful experience to return to my roots and serve a community which helped to raise me. I work alongside my fellow supportive residents who take care of each other through boba runs in tough times and taco parties in good times. The faculty here genuinely love teaching even when things get busy. Questions are always encouraged and attendings will routinely offer opportunities for learning practical clinical skills. It’s easy to feel involved, whether through participating through one of our many committees or working with faculty in preparing for conferences. As an aspiring primary care physician, I was also drawn to KPSC’s CHOICE program. We have opportunities to hone in on specific areas of outpatient medicine we want to apply ourselves to, as well as collaborate with other residents to create projects that ultimately will benefit our local community. It has been a joy to spend so much time with the people of this program, and I know that going forward, we will continue to inspire each other to be more kind, compassionate physicians and community members.

Samira Samant (PGY2)

I have loved my experience at KPSC and am so grateful to be a resident here. This program places emphasis not only on clinical teaching and evidence-based medicine, but also upon fostering a collaborative spirit and positive environment. Our faculty are incredibly dedicated to working with and teaching residents, from procedure training to exploring evidence-based medicine. Despite the inherent challenges residency training presents, being able to train at a program that not only values but prioritizes balanced schedules, resident well-being, and a supportive learning environment is a blessing. The mentorship available is unparalleled, with faculty who are kind and approachable, involved in getting to know us personally and understanding our goals, and deeply invested in their mentees’ success. My fellow residents are exceptional colleagues and even better friends, and I’m looking forward to a wonderful experience here at KPSC!

Rachel Rhee (PGY3)

KPSC has been everything and more than I could’ve asked from a residency program. Our tight knit program fosters an environment of making lifelong friends and having the support of faculty who want to see us excel. We have a voice here at KPSC which allows us to have ownership over our own program and see ideas come to fruition. For example, our ultrasound elective was developed from a performance improvement project, and it is an indispensable skill on wards and ICU. Having portable ultrasounds is one of the many resources Kaiser supplies us with to become efficient and effective physicians. Our streamlined continuity of service also ensures patients aren’t lost to follow up and we also have amazing ancillary support including pharmacists and case managers who are readily accessible. Our beautiful campus at the heart of Silicon Valley allows us to walk to boba shops from the hospital and provides easy accessibility to Santa Cruz beaches and redwood forests with hardly any traffic! I am blessed to be part of the Kaiser Santa Clara family and the people I work with constantly inspire to become a better physician, mentor, and friend to others.

2023-2024 Residents