22-04-2025
Mercy San Juan starts internal medicine residency program
Dignity Health's Mercy San Juan Medical Center will welcome its first class of internal medicine residents this summer.
Dignity Health's Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael will welcome its first class of internal medicine residents this summer, bolstering physician training efforts as Sacramento and much of California face shortages in health care access.
Ten residents, selected from an international pool of applicants, will begin training July 1 under a new three-year program aimed at building the next generation of hospitalists, outpatient physicians and subspecialists, according to a Dignity Health news release.
'This program creates an opportunity to shape the next generation of physicians in an environment rooted in collaboration, critical thinking and compassionate care,' said Dr. Murali Adusumalli, program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Mercy San Juan, in the release.
The program launches as the Sacramento region contends with gaps in primary and specialty care. A 2023 California Health Care Foundation report found many counties in the region fall below the recommended supply of 60 to 80 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. Projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimate a national shortfall of up to 124,000 doctors by 2034.
Residents will complete core rotations in internal medicine wards, intensive care units and ambulatory clinics, gaining experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The program will also include simulation-based procedural training and specialty rotations in cardiology and infectious disease through Dignity Health Medical Foundation clinics.
Primary care is a central focus of the new program, according to Adusumalli. 'Primary care is the focus of the program and reflected in the recruiting and curriculum,' he said. 'Regardless of the final career path, we hope to develop physicians that stay to support our community."
Mercy San Juan's effort follows moves by other Sacramento-area health systems to expand training pipelines in response to physician shortages.
The Carmichael hospital features a Level II trauma center, a neonatal intensive care unit, and serves as a regional referral hub for neurological, cardiac and complex medical services. With 384 beds, Mercy San Juan is the fifth-largest hospital in the Sacramento region.
