Kaiser Permanente Southern California Los Angeles Program

Program Identity & Fit

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center's General Surgery program is a long-standing (since 1973), integrated health-system-based training experience within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California GME network, combining high-volume general surgery with subspecialty exposure in colorectal, pediatric, thoracic, endocrine, vascular/endovascular, and surgical oncology. The program explicitly frames its identity around producing "well-rounded general surgeons" with unlimited career options, emphasizing early clinical responsibility and autonomy within an integrated-delivery-system model rather than a quaternary academic referral center. Graduates pursue both competitive fellowships and direct entry into practice, reflected in a >90% first-time ABS pass rate, with the Kaiser system's evidence-based, patient-centered culture and closed-system continuity of care shaping the resident experience. The program values reliability, compassion, and system-based practice, and notably several current faculty (including the APD) are graduates of this same residency who returned to practice and teach within Kaiser.