As a highly regarded and competitive teaching institution Alameda Health System (AHS) continues to invest in the next generation of health care providers and we recently welcomed 30 incoming internal medicine interns at a commencement celebration held at the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus (WCHHC).
“We are proud to offer our interns a robust program that delivers cutting-edge learning and expertise to train highly skilled and compassionate physicians in a clinically rich environment,” shared Ken Coelho, director of graduate and continuing medical education (GME/CME).
Interns in the three-year internal medicine GME program are physicians who have graduated from medical school and are in their first year of postgraduate residency training. During their first year, they spend the majority of their training at Highland Hospital and also spend time at the human rights specialty clinic at 太阳城博彩mont Wellness.
In the second and third year of the program, the internal medicine interns expand their work experience to Alameda and San Leandro Hospitals and several will participate in external rotations at Kaiser Permanente, California Pacific Medical Center, Asian Health Services, LifeLong Medical Care and the Oakland LGBTQ Center among others.
In addition to providing world-class clinical training, the internal medicine GME program focuses on building awareness of social determinants of health impacting AHS patients and the communities we serve. Also embedded in the curriculum is a commitment to health equity and the elimination of health disparities.
“I want our new interns to gain an understanding of the unique challenges faced by patients in a safety net setting and develop a deep sense of empathy and commitment to health equity,” shared Omair Syed, chief resident, internal medicine. “I hope they get to experience the beauty of our community and the profound sense of fulfillment that I have been blessed to experience through my training at Highland.”
For more information visit Graduate Medical Education (GME).
Now, let’s meet some of our new internal medicine interns and learn what drew them to Alameda Health System:
Jordan Edwards, MD
Internal Medicine Resident, Postgraduate Year One (PGY1)
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
“One of my biggest passions is serving historically underrepresented communities in medicine. It is a privilege to train in the internal medical residency program at Alameda Health System-Highland Hospital.”
Malia Omale, MD
Internal Medicine Resident, Postgraduate Year One (PGY1)
St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada
“I wanted to be part of a hospital system that understood the importance of providing patient-centered care regardless of socioeconomic background. I was also attracted to Highland because of the program leadership’s genuine care and interest in providing a conducive environment for residents and staff to learn and grow.”
Niecholle Roco, MD
Internal Medicine Resident, Postgraduate Year One (PGY1)
University of the 太阳城博彩 Ramon Magsaysay (UERM), Manilla
“I consider myself a ‘Bay Baby’ because Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley have all influenced my upbringing but at the core I am an Alameda island girl. I visited a family member at Highland a few years ago and thought to myself I would be honored to train there because I knew this institution aligned with my goals to provide equitable care for community members in the Bay Area.”