FAQs

We look for resident candidates who share Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to providing high-quality care and comprehensive medical services in an accessible, cost-effective manner. You should also have a well-rounded profile that includes a strong interest in ambulatory also look for certain core professional and personal values in individual and collective practice, including:

• Integrity
• Flexibility
• Reliability
• Compassionate caring
• Commitment to excellence
• Respectfulness
• Innovative problem-solving skills
• Efficient use of time and resources
• Professional appearance
• Ability to embrace and accept cultural diversity
• Responsiveness to constructive criticism
• Quality with consistent standards
• A shared sense of responsibility
• An appreciation of the balance between a satisfying career and fulfilling personal life

Although it’s not a requirement, we’re also seeking emerging physicians who have aspirations of remaining in Hawaii after receiving their board certification and would make significant contributions to the Kaiser Permanente team in Hawaii.

Kaiser Permanente offers our residents the opportunity to learn in an integrated health care delivery system. This provides you exposure to both primary care physicians who offer innovative preventive care strategies as well as highly skilled specialists, typically under the same roof. Our physicians are able to make care delivery decisions without spending precious time seeking authorizations from outside insurance companies. This places our patients at the center of the care strategy. Kaiser Permanente is also known for its strong social purpose, innovation, and team- oriented culture. See how our program prioritizes Wellness & Community.

Our residents are employees of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, a 501(c)(3) organization.

The Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program is designed to provide all the necessary training and experience so that upon completion of our program, you’ll be ready to practice medicine in a variety of settings. This includes pursuing a fellowship for more specialized training or beginning your career in a primary care setting, hospital, university, or public health entity. Ideally, our residents will decide to stay in the islands and continue to practice internal medicine with Kaiser Permanente. Our residents also receive training geared toward practicing primary care in communities of need, so another option to consider after completing your residency is to fill the gaps for primary care on the neighbor islands. Our alumni go on to work and extend their education in a variety of areas and locations.

Our goal is to have our residents stay in Hawaii. Thus far, the majority of residents stay with Kaiser Permanente after graduation. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is always seeking the most qualified candidates who are compatible with our organizational culture and aligned with our mission to provide world-class care to our members during each and every encounter. Our alumni go on to work and extend their education in a variety of areas and locations.

There is an abundance of research opportunities available to residents at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, including opportunities to improve patient care. Residents participating in our program are amazed at the range of possibilities for research projects. Please go to the Scholarly Activities section of our website to read more about our research opportunities.

Yes. We accept all qualified applications (with appropriate documentation) via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), but are unable to provide sponsorships at this time.

Yes. Our residents will develop their skills in a learning environment that allows for autonomy while properly balanced with the necessary oversight to ensure all our members receive the same level of quality care they expect from us. This is possible because the size of the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program gives us the ability to provide personal attention to individual residents.

Residents in the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Residency Program do not take overnight calls and there are no 24-hr shifts. Please see our curriculum for details on the rotations.

The Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program allows residents to practice in an integrated patient-centered environment with some of the most talented and experienced physicians in the country. Our health plan is top-ranked in the state and is among the top 25 health plans in the nation, according to National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) rankings. Furthermore, we believe that our emphasis on ambulatory care training acknowledges the ongoing transformation in care delivery from hospital to outpatient settings.

The Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program expands requirements for ambulatory aspects of primary care, including all major specialties. In addition, we’ve been able to model some aspects of the Hawaii program on similar Kaiser Permanente programs in other regions. Since our program is relatively new in comparison to other Kaiser Permanente residency programs, we’ve also asked the residents for their feedback to continuously enhance the value for our residents and the care we provide to our patients.

Kaiser Permanente has about 265-270,000 members in Hawaii. It’s a highly diverse population with members of all ages, educational backgrounds, and incomes, with ethnicities that reflect the diversity of Hawaii. Members are mostly Asian, Caucasian, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, with a blend of additional ethnicities.

Many of our providers speak other languages. With Hawaii’s diverse population, your language skills will be a valuable asset to serve our patients and their families.

Our residents will be well prepared for fellowship training and careers in hospital medicine, primary care, academic medicine, or public health anywhere in the country, including Hawaii.

Yes, we do offer off-campus rotations, and residents may also arrange on their own, including international. Advance notice is required, and all requests are subject to approval by the Program Director to ensure the experience meets educational standards.

We’ll welcome up to five residents to our Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program each year, for a total of up to 15 residents over the three-year course of the program.

Our residents are employees of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, a 501(c)(3) organization.

Although we are not academically affiliated, many of our faculty members hold academic appointments at institutions such as the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). Our site regularly hosts JABSOM medical students for clinical rotations, along with visiting students from other schools, such as the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. Additionally, we welcome residents from various Kaiser Permanente residency programs who rotate through our facilities.

Residents will receive vacation allowances. Please consult the Benefits section of our website for more information.

Yes, one hour of every Academic Didactic Session day is typically designated for board review. In addition, PGY3 residents typically have an additional hour for dedicated board review with the Chief Medical Residents. We are fortunate to offer PGY3 residents a board review course prior to their examination as part of our commitment to resident education.

At Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, our care team encompasses all the services one would expect in any world-class model of care delivery. Facilities are equipped with pharmacy, lab, and radiology services, as well as population management support, RN care, behavioral medicine specialists, and social workers.

When you live somewhere as desirable as the Hawaiian Islands, you can expect to pay a “paradise premium.” The cost of living in Honolulu is comparable to that of New York City, as well as other large, desirable cities on the West Coast. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii residents will benefit from an aggressive pay and benefits package that acknowledges the reality of housing and other costs that come with Hawaii’s rich beauty, verdant environment, affable people, and comfortable climate.

We have a diverse patient population, with members who are employed at large companies as well as small businesses. We serve Medicare and Medicaid (QUEST Integration) populations along with members who’ve obtained coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

The Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program will provide complete and rigorous training, as we know our residents would expect. This ensures every resident will graduate with the experience necessary to succeed in clinical practice. In addition, the health and well-being of our residents are also very important to us. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii values a healthy work-life balance and has instituted several measures, such as resident wellness days, weekly farmers markets, and gym memberships, that emphasize health and wellness. In addition, we provide Employee Assistance of the Pacific (EAP) service and other benefits for our residents.

Residents do not take overnight calls and there are no 24-hr shifts. Residents on inpatient rotations all typically have the same day off to allow for bonding activities outside of the hospital.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has a fully integrated, industry-leading outpatient and inpatient electronic medical record system that provides residents quick access to a patient’s medical information. Patients also have access to several services via kp.org, including powerful tools to email their physician, schedule or cancel appointments, view most lab test results, refill prescriptions, and more – all from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Residents will also have access to Kaiser Permanente’s expansive clinical library, a robust service that includes UpToDate®, more than 1,500 electronic journals, drug and imaging resources, and population management programs, among other features.

Interviews will take place November through January.

Application deadline is January 1st of each year.

Please email KPHIResidency@kp.org with your inquiry and we’ll get back to you promptly. Feel free to provide some helpful information in your message, including your year in medical school and any additional contact information you would like us to have. Or you may also mail your request to:

Kaiser Permanente Mapunapuna Medical Office
2828 Paa Street
Residency Program Office Room 3D04
Honolulu, HI 96819
KPHIResidency@kp.org

Kaiser Permanente is all about helping people thrive. While residents will be part of a challenging program, we’re committed to the total health of our residents, physicians, and staff. The outdoor environment and diversity of sports and fitness activities available in Hawaii provide ample opportunity for residents to maintain their health and fitness.

Generally, the weather in Hawaii is sunny and breezy, but we do have a relatively rainy season (late winter and early spring). The average daily temperature is 80 degrees. During the winter months, the temperature can drop into the mid-60s in the evenings. You’ll never need winter clothing, unless you choose to visit the summit of Haleakala on Maui or Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island – where there’s a chance you may actually see snowfall.

Surrounded by beautiful beaches, there are a variety of ocean activities to enjoy, including surfing, stand-up paddling, kayaking, canoe paddling, fishing, and snorkeling. There are also beautiful hiking trails on every island. Find more information in our Life In Hawaii section.

Our residency program is committed to train our providers to be culturally competent, innovative, and compassionate. We seek residents from a variety of backgrounds, life experiences and nontraditional paths. We support initiatives that include community service in restoring spaces of traditional practice, building and nurturing partnerships with the community, and mentoring/ training the next generation of health care providers to reduce health disparities and improve access to care. Our residency committee is dedicated to the recruitment of underrepresented minorities to our internal medicine residency program. Our residency program faculty actively participate with organizations such as the Association of Native Hawaiian Physicians and the Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii.