Kaiser Permanente Northern California Program

Kaiser Permanente Northern California offers a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship based in Oakland, California, at a large tertiary care center specifically focused on pediatrics. This center caters to a diverse and complex patient population, including general, subspecialty, and surgical pediatric patients, with notable advancements such as a new pediatric cardiac surgery program initiated in 2019. The fellowship aims to produce highly skilled pediatric hospitalists who are dedicated to patient safety, quality improvement, education, and assume roles as future leaders and researchers in the field.

Program Structure

The fellowship spans two years and is accredited by the ACGME. It emphasizes a dual focus on developing comprehensive hospitalist skills and pursuing individualized areas of interest, offering three distinct tracks. The first two tracks concentrate on advancing medical education or engaging in research activities, while the third track enables fellows to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) at the University of California, Berkeley during the second training year.

Clinical Rotations and Curriculum

Clinical rotations play a crucial role in this fellowship, primarily centered at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland. Here, fellows receive active supervision from fellowship administration and pediatric hospital-based specialists. In addition, fellows have the opportunity to gain experience at nearby academic medical centers, including UCSF, or community hospitals such as Kaiser San Leandro and Kaiser Walnut Creek.

Fellowship Curriculum Components

The curriculum incorporates three core areas of training:

• Core Clinical Curriculum: Focused on inpatient medicine and inpatient care (including Wards and PICU), this component trains fellows in evidence-based medicine tailored to a variety of pediatric diagnoses, alongside procedural skills and effective teaching methodologies.
• Research/Quality Improvement: Each fellow is matched with one or more research mentors to complete a scholarly project or research initiative of their choice during the fellowship.
• Individualized Curriculum: This facet allows fellows to select electives that enhance and diversify their educational experience. Available electives include Pediatric Palliative Care, various subspecialties (e.g., Infectious Disease, Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, etc.), and general care areas such as Well Baby Nursery and NICU.

Across the two years, fellows complete a total of 32 weeks each for core, research/quality improvement, and individualized curriculum, along with eight weeks of vacation.

Career Development Opportunities

The fellowship supports career and leadership development through a comprehensive clinical curriculum, complemented by various faculty development offerings. Fellows engage in activities such as running mock codes, leading morbidity and mortality seminars, and participating in the Fellows’ College alongside other fellows at UCSF. Fellows are also encouraged to attend national conferences, including the annual PHM and AAP meetings, with funding provided for such participations.

Application Process

The program accepts one fellow per year through the NRMP Pediatric Specialties Fall Match. Interested applicants must register for the match and complete their ERAS application by submitting the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae
• A one-page statement that articulates the applicant's interest in the Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship at Kaiser Oakland, detailing special areas of interest and career objectives
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from the residency program director

The program provides visa support for international applicants and sponsors J-1 and H-1B visas.

Program Competitiveness

The Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Northern California is competitive. While there is a focus on selecting candidates with strong clinical and research potential, the program is known to be friendly towards DOs and IMGs, encouraging diverse applicants who have a clear commitment to a career in pediatric medicine.