Dear Prospective Intern,
Aloha! We are thrilled to extend our warmest invitation to you to join the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program (KPHI IMRP). Our mission is to provide a comprehensive range of educational experiences that will equip trainees for diverse careers in medicine, with a particular focus on robust training in ambulatory primary care. We strive to nurture highly competent, patient-oriented physicians dedicated to serving the community.
We are a small, close-knit program that recognizes the uniqueness of each resident's goals and aspirations, so we take immense pride in our individualized approach to medical education. Our emphasis on high-quality education is accompanied by a commitment to fostering abundant opportunities for Peer-to-Peer and Resident-to-Faculty connections and mentorship. In our community, residents engage in collaborative learning, imparting knowledge to not only medical students but also learners from diverse disciplines, including Pharmacy and Physician Assistant. Whether you are interested in working with us at Kaiser Permanente (KP) upon graduation, seeking opportunities for fellowship or subspecialty training, or find that your career journey leads elsewhere, our individually tailored training will set you up for success in your career.
As an integral part of Kaiser Permanente, you will have access to a wealth of resources including research, expertise, and community connections to further enhance your learning experience. Moreover, we offer practical insights on practicing medicine within the unique island context and within the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group (HPMG). Our program seamlessly integrates hospital and outpatient care to offer you a balanced yet comprehensive medical education. Our graduates practice in a variety of settings including Primary Care, Hospital Medicine, and Subspecialty Care (see our Alumni List).
We are deeply committed to service and making a positive impact in our communities; our program's Annual Day of Service is a significant highlight. This HPMG-sponsored event provides hands-on service opportunities across the state while fostering community bonds and improving the health of Hawaii's people. The longstanding volunteer tradition brings together the people of KP Hawaii to restore traditional land stewardship (ahupua'a), enhance cultural health, and enrich our communities.
As the Clinical Director for Health Promotion with Special Olympics Hawaii (SOHI), I am also proud to share our involvement in the SOHI Summer Games. We recognize that many members of this population face barriers to accessing routine medical care, so our participation in the Games helps bridge that gap to a healthier and more inclusive community by focusing on primary prevention, nutrition counseling, and minimizing fear around healthcare encounters.
In addition, we offer innovative community experiences through various electives such as Native Hawaiian Health, Care Pathway Center, John A. Burns School of Medicine H.O.M.E. Project, and Neighbor Island Electives.
Our Native Hawaiian Health elective takes a multi-pronged approach to introducing residents to the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through the lens of indigenous healthcare & health outcomes. These four prongs include research and data analysis, didactics, community engagement, and clinical practice.
Our Care Pathway Center elective provides residents a focused outpatient experience in the principles and practice of HIV biomedical prevention, HIV medical management, and gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse patients. This elective emphasizes the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA+ population and the importance of equitable, multidisciplinary care delivery that is evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.
Our H.O.M.E. Project elective actively engages residents in addressing health disparities by providing free medical care to the houseless on Oahu. This experience deepens their understanding of health inequity, houselessness, and the complexities of providing care while fostering collaboration and learning with medical students.
Our Neighbor Island elective offers a transformative experience where residents can make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of rural communities.
Our program values not only the growth of our residents, but also the greater medical community; as such, we actively invest in the education of our faculty and other medical educators across the state of Hawaii. We are 1 of 17 sites around the world offering the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Hub Course, which helps Hawaii's educators stay on top of innovations within medical education, specifically around developing faculty competencies in assessment and feedback. Our residents participate in this course.
We are excited about the possibility of having you join our program and contribute to our learning community. Although we regret that you cannot visit us in person at this time, we encourage you to explore our program further through our website. Should you have any additional inquiries, please feel free to reach out to us at KPHIResidency@kp.org.
Thank you for considering the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program. We eagerly anticipate reviewing your application through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) and getting to know you better during the interview season.
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana (with warm regards),
Jennifer Katada, MD, FACP
Program Director, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
Clinical Director of Health Promotion, Special Olympics Hawaii