Podcast Episode 4: Building a New Residency Program, Insights from a Founding Coordinator

Establishing a residency program is a complicated process, and its success is contingent on the support of and insight from myriad constituents - from coordinators, to faculty, to a hospital CEO. 

In our most recent podcast episode, I spoke with Michelle Gonzalez, Graduate Medical Education/Internal Medicine Program Coordinator for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) in Los Angeles, about what it’s like to build a residency program from the ground up. 

In this episode, you’ll find out how Michelle:

• Generated support from and aligned with program and hospital leadership
• Ensured that the program would benefit the community it serves
• Identified and prioritized strategies used to build the program
• Navigated the challenges of coordinating a new program 
• Found reward in the challenging learn-as-you-go approach 
• Continues to grow the program beyond its implementation

Find out how Michelle, her PD and the rest of the MLKCH team chose which facets to include or avoid in the development of their program in service of providing residents with an enriching, equitable, and effective training experience.  

“We don't want our residents to be competing with each other. That's not the culture we're setting. We want five residents who are going to be five chief residents who are going to help serve the community, address the need to learn as well as being able to have a culture where each resident can learn off each other. And that's something that we want to have.” - Michelle Gonzalez

Michelle Gonzalez started at MLKCH in May 2021 as part of the founding team. Prior to MLKCH, Michelle worked at Eisenhower Health (Medical Center) where she was the Internal Medicine Residency Coordinator. Prior to that, she was the Clerkship Coordinator, working closely with medical students and visiting residents.

To listen to Episode 4: Building a New Residency Program, Insights from a Founding Coordinator, featuring Michelle Gonzalez, click here, or find Thalamus Grand Rounds on your favorite podcast platform.

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