Arrowhead Regional Medical Center/Kaiser Permanente (Fontana) Program

The Arrowhead Regional Medical Center/Kaiser Fontana General Surgery Program is a distinguished five-year ACGME-accredited residency located in the Inland Empire of Southern California. This program uniquely combines training experiences from two contrasting yet complementary institutions, allowing residents to gain a comprehensive exposure to the full spectrum of general surgery practices. The two primary training sites—Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) and Kaiser Permanente Fontana—offer residents exceptional learning experiences in diverse healthcare settings.

Training Institutions
ARMC operates as a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital and is designated as a Level I Trauma Center, as well as a Regional Burn Center. These distinctions provide residents with extensive experience in trauma and critical care, along with advanced surgical techniques. In contrast, Kaiser Fontana is part of Kaiser Permanente, one of the leading health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in the U.S. This affiliation enhances the program's curriculum with a strong emphasis on community health and integrated care models.

Geographic and Lifestyle Context
The residency is situated in the Inland Empire, a region noted for its accessibility to various major urban areas, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and even Las Vegas. This proximity provides ample opportunities for cultural engagement and outdoor activities. The diverse environment supports a well-rounded lifestyle, which is crucial for the demanding nature of surgical training.

Mission Statement
Aligned with its mission to foster an environment of learning and innovation, the program aims to train competent and compassionate general surgeons who are prepared to serve diverse communities, addressing varied cultural and socioeconomic needs. Residents are also encouraged to pursue further subspecialty training as needed.

Curriculum and Rotations
The program is structured into a series of progressive rotations over five years for categorical residents, with specific responsibilities outlined from the first year (PGY-1) through to the fifth year (PGY-5).
- PGY-1 focuses primarily on general surgery and trauma (7 months), critical care in the surgical intensive care unit (6 weeks), and includes rotations in urology, vascular surgery, and ambulatory surgery.
- PGY-2 enhances the surgical practice with dedicated time in burn surgery and research, along with additional subspecialty rotations such as ENT, bariatrics, and transplantation.
- PGY-3 provides comprehensive general surgery experiences, including trauma, vascular, and pediatric rotations, further deepening the resident’s surgical expertise.
- PGY-4 and PGY-5 residents take on greater responsibilities, allowing them to act in leadership roles during surgical procedures while exploring elective opportunities at prestigious institutions like City of Hope and the John Wayne Cancer Institute.
This thorough curriculum is regularly evaluated and updated based upon resident feedback and advancements in surgical education.

Research Opportunities
The program puts significant emphasis on research, encouraging residents to engage in scholarly activities and contribute to clinical outcomes improvement. Recent publications include various studies related to surgical practices, critical care, and management strategies in trauma care, demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of surgical knowledge.

Visa Support and Competitiveness
The residency program is known for being DO-friendly and accommodating to international medical graduates (IMGs). It offers visa sponsorship, typically for J1 and H-1B visas, ensuring that foreign medical graduates can obtain the necessary documentation to participate in the program without administrative barriers.

Application Requirements
While the program welcomes applications from a diverse array of candidates, it is considered competitive, and students are urged to substantiate their applications with strong academic records and relevant clinical experiences. Specific application requirements may include a maximum threshold for failed STEP exams, as well as attention to the year of graduation being recent. This reflects the program's high standards for candidate selection aimed at ensuring readiness and a commitment to surgical excellence.