Kern Medical Center Program

Transitional Year Analyst Verified · Oct 19, 2026

Kern Medical Center Program

Kern Medical Center Program is a residency program specializing in Transitional Year, located in Bakersfield, California, directed by Marah Sukkar, MD and coordinated by Juan Peregrina.. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at juan.peregrina@kernmedical.com or (661) 326-2248. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Kern Medical's Transitional Year is a newly accredited (2025) program situated within a public, safety-net, tertiary referral teaching hospital in Bakersfield, serving Kern County's Central Valley community. The curriculum is built around core rotations in Internal Medicine, ICU, Ambulatory Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Surgery, supplemented by three elective blocks drawn from Kern Medical's established residency programs (Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Psychiatry), giving TY residents flexibility to tailor preparation toward their intended specialty. As an inaugural program built into a larger academic safety-net institution, it emphasizes hands-on, technical exposure across multiple core specialties rather than a narrow focus, positioning itself as a launching pad for residents advancing into categorical programs the following year. There is no stated research infrastructure or expectation, and the program's identity centers on broad clinical grounding within an underserved, high-acuity public hospital setting.

Who it fits

An applicant who has secured or is pursuing an advanced-entry categorical position (advanced Anesthesiology, Radiology, Dermatology, PM&R, Ophthalmology, Neurology) requiring a broad, hands-on preliminary/transitional year in a safety-net, public hospital environment before specializing.

Research intensity

Low - No research infrastructure, expectation, or emphasis is described anywhere in program materials.

Career orientation

Other - functions as a preliminary/transitional bridge year rather than a terminal career pathway, preparing residents for subsequent categorical training in another specialty.

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Transitional Year

Deadline

Accreditation Status N/A NEW

SCORE

USMLE STEP 1

USMLE STEP 2

SCORE NOTES

VISA POLICY

VISA

GRADUATION CUT OFF

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

ECFMG CERTIFICATE

PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT

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CURRENT RESIDENTS