Welcome to the Residency Program Home Page

Your Training as an Emergency Medicine Physician

Your selection of a residency training program is one of the most important career decisions you will ever make. The experiences of your residency and the educational foundation set during these years will stay with you for the rest of your life. In making those decisions, we believe you will find the UC Davis program has a number of notable strengths, including extensive experience in trauma, toxicology, ultrasound, pediatrics, and research with a balance between urban university training and a community hospital managed care experience.

The program also benefits from a large and diverse faculty, providing for extensive faculty interaction and teaching in the emergency department.  Our faculty trained at residency programs around the country. At the end of residency training, we believe you will be well prepared to pursue your chosen career goals, be they academics or the community practice of emergency medicine.

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program at UC Davis Medical Center was approved in 1989 and graduated its first class in 1993. It is a PGY 1-2-3 structured program (three years total), approved by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as a categorical emergency medicine program. Those successfully completing the residency are eligible for certification by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

The house staff in this program spend approximately 70 percent of their time at the 613-bed UC Davis Medical Center and 30 percent of their time at Kaiser Permanente Hospital. The residency program is designed to meet or exceed all applicable ACGME requirements and to cover the entire core curriculum in emergency medicine.

Clinical Education

The clinical schedule is designed to provide the educational experiences necessary to achieve clinical competence in the broad field of emergency medicine in only three years. Each rotation is selected primarily for its quality educational value. Two training sites allow opportunities to select the best location for each experience. Residents practice in a state of the art ED.

The high quality of off-service rotations is a strong aspect of the program. The curriculum is evaluated annually and modified to best meet the educational goals. During the emergency department rotations, resident responsibilities are progressively graduated during the three years. Senior residents function independently by the end of their training.

Didactic Conferences

An average of at least five hours per week are scheduled for core conferences in Emergency Medicine like grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conference and resident lectures. Clinical rotation schedules are arranged to allow maximum attendance. At these weekly conferences, faculty from both training sites participate, and emergency medicine practitioners give the vast majority of lectures. The conference emphasizes interactive learning.

Residents have progressive lecture responsibilities to develop teaching and public speaking skills. A monthly journal club is held to discuss selected topics, help develop medical review skills, and socialize in a relaxed atmosphere. Advanced certifications in ACLS, PALS, and ATLS are offered early in the training program. The Department offers national postgraduate Continuing Medical Education (CME) conferences at nearby resorts. Additionally, many didactic sessions are eligible for CME credit.

UC Davis Medical Center

The emergency department at UC Davis Medical Center sees approximately 70,000 patients each year, with a high proportion requiring admission due to the severity of their illness or injury. More than 60 percent of all hospital patients are admitted through the emergency department. UC Davis Medical Center is the only level I trauma center for inland northern California and averages 4,000 critical trauma admissions per year (in the top five nationally).  Eighty percent of these admissions are due to blunt trauma.

UC Davis Medical Center serves as a base station for 911 ambulance calls throughout the Sacramento area and surrounding counties. The medical center is also the site of the very busy Northern California Regional Poison Control Center. During the EMS rotation, residents are required to ride along with ground EMS units and also have the option of flying with one of the regional aeromedical transport companies.

The emergency department has 68 patient beds having just moved into a new state of the art department in October 2010. It also has a dedicated pediatric area, in-department radiology and stat laboratory facilities. The patient population in the UC Davis Medical Center emergency department is a mix of general county patients, true tertiary referrals and the full range of blunt and penetrating trauma patients. Residents receive ample hands-on experience with management of acutely ill and injured patients. However, UC Davis Medical Center has a much higher level of ancillary care support than generally exists at county hospitals.

Kaiser Hospital

The Kaiser Emergency Department sees about 95,000 patients per year and is a level 2 trauma center, providing residents with the experience of a community-based emergency department within in a managed health care system. The patient population at Kaiser Hospital is unique and complementary to the clinical experience at UC Davis. The HMO experience is advantageous for training physicians for future practice in a managed care environment.

Research Opportunities

The UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine is in the top 5 nationally for federal research funding in emergency medicine.  Exposure to research methodology is an integral part of the comprehensive education in residency training.  Clinical research continues to play a significant role in the academic development of the specialty.  Residents complete a research project, which is then presented in their senior year.

The Department provides statistical and computer support. Clinical research is facilitated within the emergency department, with opportunities for resident involvement in basic science research. We expect our residents to have the opportunity to become future leaders in academic emergency medicine.

Salary and Benefits Information

The UC Davis Emergency Department offers exceptional benefits and competitive wages.  For an overview of the advantages of UC employment, please click here.