Does anyone have info about the Stanford affiliated San Jose O'Connor program or UCSF affiliated programs? Does community based vs university based matter in family med? Thanks!

Does anyone have info about the Stanford affiliated San Jose O'Connor program or UCSF affiliated programs? Does community based vs university based matter in family med? Thanks!

I interviewed at alot of those, so maybe I have some insight.

I have heard Stanford OConnor is a good program, although I was a little hesitant to apply there, as they had some turmoil in the last few years with switching sites to OConnor.

The UCSF programs are some of the best in Family Medicine. I loved Sutter Santa Rosa, which if you look at the resident bio's, has some of the best and coolest residents in the US. The faculty is just as cool and dedicated. UCSF Salinas is known for great all around, and especially OB training, although they have had a harder time matching great applicants recently, either because of location in the central valley(10 miles to Monterey isn't bad though) or the amount of bilingual skills needed to survive there.

If you are looking for well rounded full spectrum training, unopposed programs are usually the call, and the best ones of these are normally associated, somehow, with a university...the exception being Contra Costa, which is independant and a bad-ass program.

I ditto everything donkey hote said. I interviewed at many of the Northern California residencies and found the unopposed, university-associated programs to be the best. You get more resources, more procedures, more hands-on in general. I really loved Sutter Santa Rosa. Contra Costa is also amazing, but very hard core. UCSF is great, but opposed and according to a friend I have there, not hugely focused on procedures.
If you're willing to go north a bit more, OHSU in portland, and the Swedish programs in Seattle are amazing.
Good luck!

hi i was just wondering how competative northern cali fp programs are specifically contra costa program. i would say i have an low- average board score 210 and high pass and one honors on my rotations? any insight. i know its more than the numbers but jst trying to get an idea

hi i was just wondering how competative northern cali fp programs are specifically contra costa program. i would say i have an low- average board score 210 and high pass and one honors on my rotations? any insight. i know its more than the numbers but jst trying to get an idea

Relatively, it's one of the more difficult family medicine programs to get into. So, grades help, but they're not the be-all-end-all. Most importantly, they want to know that you fit in with the residents and the philosophy of the program. So, that means, read the resident bio's. Do they sound like you, would you like to hang out with them...would they like to hang out with you. If so, you have a decent chance.

My best advice would be to do things to show them that your interests are in line with the philosophy of the program. That being, Contra Costa is known for their dedication to full spectrum family medicine training, and care to the underserved. So, do something your fourth year that shows your interest in care to the underserved...international rotation/SEARCH elective/spanish language training. Hopefully you have already thought of some of this stuff, or maybe done some of it during medical school or before.

One more thing-I'm guessing that the 210 is your step 1. I would say, take step 2 prior to interviews and as close to the end of your third year as possible. That way all the info from your third year clerkships will still be there, and you can crush Step 2. Usually family medicine type people do much better on Step 2 than Step 1. Hopefully you are one of those.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone have info about the Stanford affiliated San Jose O'Connor program or UCSF affiliated programs? Does community based vs university based matter in family med? Thanks!

Try to attend the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City if you have the chance. You'll be able to talk to all of them there.

Try to attend the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City if you have the chance. You'll be able to talk to all of them there.

Ditto

Also, when you are there (the AAFP conference) chat the residents up, show your interest, but be cool, and try to hang out with after the conference...go dancing, to dinner, a bar...whatever.

Then, a few weeks later, email them, remind them who you are, and how much you enjoyed meeting them and learning about their residency.