In partnership with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Internal Medicine Residency Program offers a unique four-year Internal Medicine/Master of Public Health (IM/MPH) track. This track, which accepts two residents each year, is integrated within our categorical internal medicine residency program and allows residents to train in internal medicine while also pursuing interests in public health, health policy, leadership, education, and research.
Residents in this track spend the first three years at Kaiser San Francisco, fulfilling their internal medicine residency requirements. During this time, they have opportunities for clinical and epidemiologic research, rotations with local public health departments, and experiences in health policy and global health. In their fourth year, residents complete the 11-month Master of Public Health program at UC Berkeley while receiving a full PGY-4 salary; tuition costs are paid for by KP Graduate Medical Education. Residents choose from a variety of tracks, including interdisciplinary, epidemiology and health policy, and engage in research and clinical experiences tailored to enrich their career paths. Graduates are equipped to pursue a wide range of career paths, including clinical practice, public health, health policy, clinical and epidemiologic research, subspecialty training, medical education, global health, and private industry.
With access to vast patient populations across Northern California and a world-class healthcare delivery system, Kaiser Permanente provides an ideal environment for both clinical and public health training.
FAQs
What are the differences between the IM/MPH track and the Categorical track during the first three years of residency training?
Most of the first three years are the same for IM/MPH and Categorical residents. IM/MPH residents complete internal medicine training requirements during this time with an option to complete a special 4-week elective at a local Department of Public Health to gain additional public health exposure and foster connections. There is also some additional online research coursework to be completed in preparation for your MPH experience.
What clinical experiences can I expect during the PGY-4 year while completing my MPH degree?
To maintain your clinical skills, you will periodically see patients in your outpatient continuity clinic during your MPH year. These clinics are scheduled around your class schedule. You will also have 6 weeks of elective rotations during the weeks when MPH classes are not in session. PGY-4 residents are also eligible to moonlight.
What are some examples of projects prior residents have completed while doing their MPH?
Residents have completed a wide variety of projects that represent their varied interests.
Examples include:
- Interest and disparities in awareness and uptake of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis among US MSM with HIV.
- Changes in kidney function associated with daily tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine for HIV preexposure prophylaxis use in the United States Demonstration Project.
- Modality of detection of breast cancer recurrence: assessing mode of detection of breast cancer recurrence in invasive breast cancer survivors undergoing surveillance after initial treatment.
- Evaluating the California Master Plan on Aging Initiative on adult day services.
- Six-to-eight-day treatment intervals for unknown duration or late latent syphilis during pregnancy may not require additional infant evaluation for congenital syphilis at delivery.
- Patient surveys and the electronic medical record: incongruence correlates.
Can I apply for both the categorical and IM/MPH track?
Yes, absolutely! We encourage you to apply for both tracks if you are interested.
Are there any additional application or interview requirements to be considered for the IM/MPH track?
There is no additional interview for the combined IM/MPH track. We will discuss your interest in this program as part of your regularly scheduled interview day. However, IM/MPH applicants will be asked to submit a brief statement describing your interest in the combined program and how it will support your career interests. You will be prompted to do this as part of the interview invitation process.
Do I have to do a separate application to UC Berkeley?
Eventually, yes, but not at this time! Residents in the IM/MPH track apply for admission to the UC Berkeley School of Public Health during the third year.
What Our Residents Are Saying
“Getting my residency training at Kaiser San Francisco within a unique integrated healthcare system, combined with the opportunity to earn my MPH in epidemiology at UC Berkeley and rotate at local health departments and the California Department of Public Health, was the perfect blend for learning how to improve the health of not only individuals, but entire communities at the population level. During the program, I was able to pursue my interests in HIV and sexually transmitted infections in both clinical and public health settings, which directly shaped my path to my current role as a public health medical officer in the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch at the California Department of Public Health. In this leadership role, I have been involved in statewide efforts to address syphilis, congenital syphilis, mpox, and antimicrobial resistant gonorrhea. This program didn’t just prepare me for my dream career in public health – it actively made it possible, offering experiences, mentorship, and flexibility I could not have found anywhere else.”
Eric Tang, MD, MPH