Family Medicine Residency

Family Medicine Residency Program

Welcome to the Desert Regional Family Medicine Residency program. We are excited to start a new community-based program with a central focus on evidence-based medicine and community service. Our mission is to prepare residents to provide the highest quality and personalized care to the residents of the Coachella Valley that is patient, family, and community centered.

We are located in the resort city of Palm Springs within the Coachella Valley, part of the Inland Empire of Southern California. We serve a very diverse patient population with a particular focus on the medically underserved and most vulnerable populations. Our program is dedicated to teaching the next generation of physicians to serve the community with social responsibility to improve health, wellness, and access to healthcare.

Our faculty are committed to education with a true dedication to excellence. They bring experiences that enhance the well-rounded curriculum that is offered. Coupled with training at a Level 1 trauma center and state-of-the-art outpatient facilities, our program is equipped to provide residents with an outstanding training opportunity that will not only enable them to develop strong clinical skills but also provide leadership experiences that enable them to become health advocates within the community.

Founded in 1948, Desert Regional Medical Center has a long history of providing excellence in medical care. The core service lines include cardiology, orthopedics and neurosciences, neonatal services with the Coachella Valley’s only neonatal intensive care unit, and oncology at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Currently, there are more than 300 physicians on staff at Desert Regional Medical Center covering more than 40 specialties.

Desert Regional Medical Center has deep roots in the greater Palm Springs community. The 385-bed acute care hospital is proud of its long-standing tradition of offering advanced care and comprehensive services, including life-saving trauma care, comprehensive stroke services, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, cancer treatment, and neonatal intensive care services. Desert Regional Medical Center also has:

• Only Level 1 Trauma Center in the Coachella Valley (highest possible)
• Highest Level NICU in the Coachella Valley (Level III)
• Only Comprehensive Stroke Center in Coachella Valley
• The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional
• Inpatient and outpatient surgery centers
• Acute Rehabilitation

Because it provides a higher level of care, Desert Regional takes some of the sickest and most critically-injured patients from other hospitals throughout Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial and San Diego counties as well as parts of Arizona and Nevada.

Desert Regional is also a teaching facility, training the next generation of physicians. Some will remain in the community to help meet the increasing demand for healthcare services resulting from the area’s significant population growth. The hospital began residency programs in various specialties in 2014. The first class of family medicine residents graduated in June 2018.

About the Program Curriculum

The DRMC Family Medicine residency program is a three-year program that provides outstanding training for residents by providing excellent patient care with compassion and leadership skills.

PGY-1

• Inpatient Medicine — Two months
• Night Float — Two months
• Cardiology — One month
• Family Medicine Essentials — Two weeks
• Family Medicine Center — One month
• Obstetrics — One month
• Pediatric/Newborn Medicine — One month
• General Surgery — One month
• Sports Medicine — One month
• Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) — Two weeks
• Nephrology — One month
• Podiatry — Two weeks

PGY-2

• Inpatient Medicine — Two months
• Night Float — Two months
• Emergency Room — One month
• Geriatrics — One month
• Infectious Disease — One month OMIT
• Obstetrics — One month
• Pediatric Outpatient — One month
• Behavioral Science — One month
• Dermatology — Two weeks
• Family Medicine Center — One Month
• Elective - 1 month

Application Information

The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and accepts applications only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

The program offers ten new positions each year.

Minimum Requirements

Residency applicants must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 with no more than one (1) failure and 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) with no failures.

COMLEX Level 1 no more than one (1) failure and COMLEX Level 2 Clinical Exam with no failures.

Must be graduated from medical school within the last five years.

Three letters of recommendation (LORs)-one letter must be from a family medicine physician.

US citizen and/or permanent resident.

To be considered a competitive applicant to our program, we highly recommend applicants have USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores of greater than 210.

As soon as applicants are accepted into a residency program, they are required to apply for a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) from the Medical Board of California (MBC). Please visit the Medical Board of California website for further information.

Benefits and Compensation

Desert Regional Medical Center provides residents with benefits and compensation that are competitive in today’s market. General benefits offered include, but are not limited to the following:

• Medical – eligible to participate in Employer’s group health insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Dental – eligible to participate in Employer’s group dental insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Vision – eligible to participate in Employer’s group vision insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Spending Accounts or Health Reimbursement Accounts.
• Life, AD&D and Disability Insurance – eligible to participate.
• Hyatt Legal
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tenet Personal Health Team and Employee Assistance Program
• Access to an on-site research library, a collection of online databases and full text journals, and research support by a staff librarian
• Vacation – 20 days per academic year

Note: All benefits and compensations are subject to change

Additional benefits offered only with the approval of the Program Director and Director of Medical Education:

• Allowance for books and other self-education materials (including directly related and pre-approved verifiable expense for authorized continuing education program(s).
• One-time stipend that can be applied to a smart phone, palm pilot or smart phone applications as a PGY-1
• Allowance to attend national and/or state conferences representing the hospital and residency program.
• One-time Reimbursement for registration fee to take COMLEX 3
• Reimbursement for State of California Medical License
• Reimbursement for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) License.

Contact

Family Medicine Residency
DRMC Family Medicine Center
555 E. Tachevah Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262