Desert Care Header Logo
Desert Regional Medical Center GME logo

Family Medicine Residency Program

Welcome to the Desert Regional Family Medicine Residency program. We are excited to start a new community-based program with a central focus on evidence-based medicine and community service. Our mission is to prepare residents to provide the highest quality and personalized care to the residents of the Coachella Valley that is patient, family, and community centered.

We are located in the resort city of Palm Springs within the Coachella Valley, part of the Inland Empire of Southern California. We serve a very diverse patient population with a particular focus on the medically underserved and most vulnerable populations. Our program is dedicated to teaching the next generation of physicians to serve the community with social responsibility to improve health, wellness, and access to healthcare.

Our faculty are committed to education with a true dedication to excellence. They bring a diversity of experiences that enhance the well-rounded curriculum that is offered. Coupled with training at a Level 2 trauma center and state-of-the-art outpatient facilities, our program is equipped to provide residents with an outstanding training opportunity that will not only enable them to develop strong clinical skills but also provide leadership experiences that enable them to become health advocates within the community.

Tae Kim, MD, FAAFP

First Year Residents

Cecil Acosta, DO

Hometown: Glendale, CA

Hobbies: traveling, weightlifting, making sushi, playing volleyball, working on/detailing cars.

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Location, sense of community, and to be close to home!

Photo of Cecil Acosta, DO
Hyun Jung Cho, MD

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Hobbies: travel, watching movies, spending time with family

Reason for Choosing DRMC: warm culture, good people, and an enthusiastic/supportive training program that is filled with positive energy

Photo of Hyun Jung Cho, MD
Aida Gholami, MD

Hometown: Shiraz, Iran

Hobbies: Cooking and baking, Listening to podcasts, watching movies, spending time with friends

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Clinical exposure to a variety of pathologies, being part of a friendly and supportive team

Photo of Aida Gholami, MD
Stanimira Kartolova, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Hobbies: Travel and cooking

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Beautiful California desert and diverse community

Photo of Stanimira Kartolova, MD
Alice Kim, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Hobbies: Golfing, petting pups, K-beauty sheet masking

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The sense of family within the program, the passionate and compassionate attendings, the plethora of golf courses

Photo of Alice Kim, MD
Yu Kim, MD

Hometown: Brookline, MA

Hobbies: soccer, computer games

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The residents and faculty members that I interviewed with were very cordial and compassionate.

Photo of Yu Kim, MD
Chan Hee Lee, MD

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Hobbies: Golf, swimming, yoga, meditation

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Unique location, excellent program and people, while being closer to family.

Photo of Chan Hee Lee, MD
Christian Olafsen, MD

Hometown: Apple Valley, California

Hobbies: Escape Rooms, Trying new Restaurants, Playing Apex Legends with my younger brothers.

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Close to my family, beautiful city, the awesome tramway, and the weather is never cold.

Photo of Christian Olafsen, MD
Chum Lim Yau, MD

Hometown: Bermuda Dunes, CA

Hobbies: Soccer, Strength and conditioning

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The faculty and staff are welcoming, supportive and friendly. Residents are being well taken care of and our learning every day are maximized. Being a local from the Coachella Valley, it is truly a blessing to be close to home. I am so grateful to be a part of the DRMC family medicine program!

Photo of Chum Lim Yau, MD
Kamran Zinati, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Hobbies: Watching movies & soccer games, music, gym, spending time with my family, hanging out with friends to play Backgammon, cards and exploring new restaurants.

Reason for Choosing DRMC: For the friendly & welcoming faculties/residents, supportive learning environment and to be close to home and my family in LA.

Photo of Kamran Zinati, MD

Second Year Residents

Malcom Blake, MD

Hometown: West Hartford, CT

Hobbies: Painting and gem mineral collecting

Reason for Choosing DRMC: I love the community

Photo of Malcom Blake, MD
Jose Candelario, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Hobbies: Hiking, soccer, basketball and family

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The Family Medicine program, location and community

Photo of Jose Candelario, MD
Natalie Hanks, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Medical School: University of Queensland-Ochner Clinical School

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Great exposure of clinical cases in a tight knit community

Photo of Natalie Hanks, MD
Bao Huynh, MD

Hometown: Lafayette, LA

Hobbies: Listening to music, cooking and traveling

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Friendly and supportive environment

Photo of Bao Huynh, MD
Hyun Jin (Angela) Lim, MD

Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA

Hobbies: Working out at gym, playing with my dog, and cooking

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The faculty and residents were so friendly and welcoming during the interview

Photo of Hyun Jin (Angela) Lim, MD
Monica Neff, MD

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Hobbies: Hiking, camping, sailing and gardening

Reason for Choosing DRMC: Beautiful scenery, diverse community and to be close to family

Photo of Monica Neff, MD
Angelo Sayo, MD

Hometown: Palm Desert, CA

Hobbies: Music, fitness, photography

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The warm and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to serve my local community

Photo of Angelo Sayo, MD
Kristina Tabila-Guglielmi, MD

Hometown: Torrance, CA

Hobbies: Cooking, painting, history and travel

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The people!

Photo of Kristina Tabila-Guglielmi, MD
Vi Tran, MD

Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN

Hobbies: Travel, fine dining, hiking, spending time with family, music festivals

Reason for Choosing DRMC: For a great learning experience, and to live in CA

Photo of Vi Tran, MD
Tsz Kuen Tsui, MD

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Hobbies: Cooking, traveling, exploring new restaurants, and concerts

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The location and curriculum was very appealing, and to be close to home

Photo of Tsz Kuen Tsui, MD
Andy Wang, MD

Hometown: Santa Rose, CA

Hobbies: Basketball, movies and exercise

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The residents, attending’s and staff were very warm and welcoming.

Photo of Andy Wang, MD
Cyril Wassef, DO

Hometown: Litchfield Park, AZ

Hobbies: Drumming, weightlifting, and sports

Reason for Choosing DRMC: The sense of family and community, with opportunity to learn in a friendly, yet challenging environment.

Photo of Cyril Wassef, DO

Third Year Residents

Martin Florentine Atal, MD

Hometown: La Mirada, CA
Hobbies: Crossfit, hiking, watching movies, playing videogames, listening to audiobooks & podcasts

Photo of Martin Florentine Atal, MD
Anh Luong, MD

Hometown: La Quinta, CA
Hobbies: Bicycling, swimming, ukulele, lego building, scuba diving

Photo of Anh Luong, MD
Eladio Martinez, MD

Hometown: San Diego, CA
Hobbies: Movies with family, hiking, playing basketball with my son

Photo of Eladio Martinez, MD
Swetha Nukala, MD

Hometown: Fairfax, VA
Hobbies: Painting, spending time with friends and family, decorating my house

Photo of Swetha Nukala, MD
Dhara Patel, MD

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Hobbies: Dancing, painting & swimming

Photo of Dhara Patel, MD
Tyler Peterson, DO

Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Hobbies: Baseball, basketball, woodworking, cooking/baking, gardening

Photo of Tyler Peterson, DO
Ellie R. Tan, MD

Hometown: Temecula, CA
Hobbies: Hiking, backpacking, swimming, exploring new places, board games, and perfecting roasting coffee

Photo of Ellie R. Tan, MD
Luis Vera, MD

Hometown: Orlando, FL
Hobbies: Music, soccer, basketball, technology

Photo of Luis Vera, MD

Continuity Clinic

The New Family Medicine Center is a newly remodeled, greater than 13,000 sq. ft. structure that will serve as the headquarters for the new Family Medicine Residency program, providing care to patients and an educational platform for training and research. The two-story facility includes 20 exam rooms, a triage room, family counseling room, smart classroom and two procedure rooms.

Curriculum Overview

About the Program Curriculum

The DRMC Family Medicine residency program is a three-year program that provides outstanding training for residents by providing excellent patient care with compassion and leadership skills.

PGY-1

  • Inpatient Medicine — Two months
  • Night Float — Two months
  • Cardiology — One month
  • Family Medicine Essentials — Two weeks
  • Family Medicine Center — One month
  • Obstetrics — One month
  • Pediatric/Newborn Medicine — One month
  • General Surgery — One month
  • Sports Medicine — One month
  • Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) — Two weeks
  • Nephrology — Two weeks
  • Podiatry — Two weeks

PGY-2

  • Inpatient Medicine — Two months
  • Night Float — Two months
  • Emergency Room — One month
  • Geriatrics — One month
  • Infectious Disease — One month
  • Obstetrics — One month
  • Pediatric/Nursery Medicine — One month
  • Pediatric Outpatient — One month
  • Behavioral Science — One month
  • Dermatology — Two weeks
  • Family Medicine Center — Two weeks

PGY-3

  • Inpatient Medicine — Two months
  • Community Medicine — One month
  • Emergency Room — One month
  • Family Medicine Center — One month
  • Gynecology — One month
  • Orthopedics — One month
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine — One month
  • Pediatric Outpatient — One month
  • Electives — Three months

Noon Lectures

The family medicine conference is held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at noon. Topics are varied and evidence-based, covering the entire spectrum of medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, behavioral science and psychiatry.

Afternoon Workshops

The second Thursday of the month is set aside for resident business and learning. During this time, the residents have protected time with the chief resident and program director to discuss any burning issues of the day.

This afternoon also includes learning time for hands on workshops like suturing, joint injections, casting, colposcopy, etc.

Application Information

The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and accepts applications only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

The program offers ten new positions each year.

Minimum Requirements

Residency applicants must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 with no more than one (1) failure and 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) with no failures.

COMLEX Level 1 no more than one (1) failure and COMLEX Level 2 Clinical Exam with no failures.

Must be graduated from medical school within the last five years.

Three letters of recommendation (LORs)-one letter must be from a family medicine physician.

US citizen and/or permanent resident.

To be considered a competitive applicant to our program, we highly recommend applicants have USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores of greater than 210.

As soon as applicants are accepted into a residency program, they are required to apply for a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) from the Medical Board of California (MBC). Please visit the Medical Board of California website for further information.

International Applicants

All applicants must possess a valid work permit prior to the date the rank order is submitted to the matching program or prior to a position being offered. This can be met with United States citizenship or permanent residency. We do not sponsor H1 or J1 visas.

International medical school graduates are required to submit the following additional documentation:

  • ECFMG Standard Certification with valid date.
  • Score for examinations used to qualify for the ECFMG certificate.

A completed application includes ERAS common application form, a dean’s letter, transcript, USMLE transcript or Complex transcripts, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation, preferably including one from a department of medicine chair (or designee). Our program number is 1200500768

Qualified applicants are invited for interviews and visits from late-October through January. To increase your chances of securing an interview date, we recommend submitting an application before November 15.

Contact

Alma HernandezAlma Hernandez
Phone: 760.561.7344
Fax: 760.327.3052
DRMCFamilyMed@gmail.com

Family Medicine Residency
DRMC Family Medicine Center
555 E. Tachevah Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262