Dialogue with the Residents

E-mail a question to us and one of our residents will get right back to you.

Resident Spotlights

Chul-Kyun (CK) Park, M.D., Preliminary R-1
UC, Davis

CPMC has been widely known for its quality of teaching, interesting and complex patients, and outstanding & supportive staff. These were all aspects that I looked for in a program and I was ecstatic when I received an offer to interview here. Although it was only a short visit, the positive interaction I experienced with the residents, medical staff and program directors during the interview day solidified my hope of training at CPMC.
Going into anesthesia, I wanted a strong foundation for my internship year. And by no means is CPMC’s internship year easy! However, with the mentality to work hard, it has been a rewarding experience. In my internship thus far, I’ve learned a great deal not only from the patients but also from the dedicated attendings. The support system within the residency has been phenomenal which helps the internship year flow smoothly. Moreover, all the residents that I’ve worked with have been great, creating a supportive environment which makes CMPC feel like a small family. I’m very happy that my judgment during the brief time I was here for the interview was right on. And needless to say, it’s San Francisco!

Susan Tan, M.D., Categorical R-1
Northwestern University

Ranking CPMC #1 was an easy decision for me. Because its patient diversity, rigorous training, positive environment, and prime location, CPMC was everything I was looking for in a program. I knew it was the place that would enhance the qualities that I wanted to develop as a physician. At CPMC, the morale is collaborative and positive. Everybody from the attending physicians to the nursing staff have been entirely supportive and treat residents as colleagues. It truly is one large team working together toward the goal of great patient care. Between the program directors who are easy to approach and strong advocates of resident education, and my co-residents who are equally collaborative, hardworking, and fun loving, I am very happy to be training at CPMC!

Yile Ding, M.D., R-2
University of California, San Francisco

Coming from UCSF, CPMC is no strange place for me. Many of my classmates who have done various rotations at CPMC raved about the quality of teaching and mentoring at this place. I fell in love with CPMC when I did an ICU rotation during my 4th year. There is definitely a strong emphasis on clinical teaching and Evidence Based Medicine. But what really impressed me was the sense of camaraderie among the residents. Now as part of CPMC, I realized that this sense of camaraderie stems from the culture of this program: each housestaff member is treated with respect. There are no hierarchies among the attendings and the housestaffs. Our opinions are valued and changes were made based on them. As hard as internship is, feeling supported and appreciated at all times makes it an enjoyable experience.

Jason Talavera, M.D., R-2,
University of California Davis

CPMC has an exceptional program for residents and has provided me with the opportunity to treat a diverse patient population in a highly supportive and collaborative environment. During my interview, I was impressed by how enthusiastic the residents were and by the diversity of the program and knew this was the right place for me. As residents, the challenges we face are many and we are expected to work hard, but thanks to the outstanding team at CPMC, I am excited as ever about treating patients and listening to their stories. We see complex cases and as residents we are encouraged to find our place in medicine. The program has a vast array of resources to pursue fellowships, conduct research, identify performance improvement opportunities and present posters at meetings. The teaching is excellent from Morning Report to Week in Review to Noon Conference - the emphasis is on quality teaching. In addition, San Francisco is a great city and has wonderful places to visit where you can have fun on your day off. I could not wish for a better program than the one I am in at CPMC.

Aaron Falk, M.D., R-3
University of Nevada

My first exposure to CPMC was when I interviewed for residency. I had heard some good things about the program and I was immediately impressed by the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the residents. I have been very happy with my choice to come here. I think that the diversity of patients and wide range of cases are comparable to the best programs anywhere in the country. The program directors and faculty are committed to providing quality teaching. There is plenty of opportunity to do research in many of the subspecialties. The educational activities, in particular morning report and the evidence based medicine curriculum are outstanding. Residency is not easy and CPMC is no exception, but working with a great group of colleagues in such a supportive environment has made all the difference.

Nicole Hickey, M.D., R-3,
Temple University School of Medicine

I had the opportunity to do an away elective here at CPMC during my 4th year of medical school. It was then that I realized that CPMC is where I wanted to be for residency. At CPMC I found a community that strives to deliver excellent patient care to a diverse patient population. CPMC has a strong emphasis on teaching clinical and evidence-based medicine. There are ample opportunities to participate in research, and to present at regional conferences. At CPMC there is a strong camaraderie between residents, attendings, and ancillary staff. The program is very open to resident feedback, and changes in the curriculum occur readily. Also, CPMC is located in the beautiful and sunny-side of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, near a wide variety of coffee shops and restaurants, which makes for a nice break from the hospital. I am very happy to be doing my residency here at CPMC and can’t imagine doing residency anywhere else.

Maggie So, M.D., Chief Medical Resident,
New York Medical College

After doing a 4th year sub-internship, I realized that CPMC was definitely the place for me. What stood out was how happy all the house staff were. It's such a friendly atmosphere, and the program really emphasizes your learning and training. Even though residency is supposed to be a tough time, it has been fun and the time has just flown by. You make great friends at CPMC, and there's a real sense of camaraderie. The staff and nurses at CPMC are phenomenal, and you really couldn't ask for a more supportive environment. You also get to take advantage of doing all the great things in the Bay Area on those precious days off!