Introduction to Our Family Medicine Residency

Family Medicine faculty and residents

Training for a Comprehensive Practice — Now and In the Future

The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Family Medicine Residency was one of the original 11 family medicine residency programs in the nation. We continue to lead in education for the future of family medicine. Our goal is to provide training within one of the most advanced and highly functional health care systems in our nation so that our residents graduate with the skills necessary to provide tomorrow's primary care.

Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of the nation's leaders in health care innovation and the development of the patient-centered medical home. Our Family Medicine Residency is part of two Kaiser Permanente clinics and, as a result, prepares graduates ready to provide excellence in primary care.

Our philosophy of residency training recognizes the importance of training in a state-of-the-art primary care clinic. The residency is centered on the idea of "clinic first," where the residents' first priority is caring for their own panel of patients. This emphasis on training in the outpatient setting ensures that our graduates master the core skills of a family physician.

Our curriculum is both science- and systems-based. Residents are trained with science-based learning using evidence-based medicine, physician-led clinical guidelines, and our Teaching Interdisciplinary Clinic sessions. Residents also learn systems-based training by immersion in a functional health care system.

The program provides training in the full spectrum of outpatient settings including both urban and underserved training opportunities. Incoming residents have a choice of training at two sites for their continuity clinic. We also have a strong hospital experience in medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics. We offer training in pre-operative care, surgical assist, cesarean section assist, postoperative care, and minor surgical procedures. Residents gain in-depth experience in population management, health care team leadership, and community-based chronic care skills.

We are a community-based, unopposed program that is education-driven rather than service-driven. Our residents develop a peer relationship with Kaiser Permanente physicians and our faculty who are excellent clinicians and educators, and are your colleagues in the provision of care. Decisions within the residency are consensus-based.

Our program has two training sites for residents' continuity clinic:

• Capitol Hill Campus (Match #1811120C0): 4 residents in each class (total of 12) in Seattle with multi-specialty services on site
• Burien Medical Center (Match #1811120C1): 2 residents in each class (total of 6) south of Seattle in a smaller group practice training setting