The Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Transitional Year Residency Program is a community-based training experience designed to equip residents with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel across a wide range of medical specialties. Our commitment is to foster a supportive, educational environment that prioritizes the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital is part of Dignity Health, a member of CommonSpirit Health. The program is offered in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine through the More in Common Alliance. Residents benefit from Morehouse School of Medicine’s academic resources, the hospital’s community connections and the broader clinical network of Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health.
As a resident, you will become an integral part of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, a 385-bed acute care facility with comprehensive services that include an emergency department, the Sarvanand Heart and Brain Center and the Lauren Small Children’s Center. Our diverse patient population from Kern County and Southern California creates a dynamic learning environment.
This program prepares residents for advanced specialty training and supports them as they explore various career pathways, ensuring they become skilled and compassionate physicians capable of serving any community.
The More in Common Alliance is a partnership between CommonSpirit Health and Morehouse School of Medicine designed to expand graduate medical education opportunities, strengthen and diversify the physician workforce and improve access to care in communities that have historically experienced health disparities.
At Memorial Hospital, the alliance combines local clinical training and community-based experience with the academic resources of Morehouse School of Medicine and the broader network of CommonSpirit Health. Together, the organizations share a commitment to health equity, culturally responsive care and preparing physicians to serve communities with significant health care needs.
Message from the Program Director
Welcome to the Morehouse School of Medicine/Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Transitional Year Residency Program! We are an ACGME-accredited, one-year residency program offering 10 positions annually, sponsored by Morehouse School of Medicine which provides strong academic support and educational resources.
Our residency program offers broad clinical experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings, with the flexibility to tailor schedules to each resident’s goals. Our aim is to prepare residents for advanced specialty training or to support them as they explore career pathways, learning to provide high-quality, evidence-based care and serve patients from all backgrounds with empathy and humanism.
Our mission is to train highly competent, resilient, and successful physicians by delivering broad-based foundational training and opportunities to develop the skills necessary for a smooth transition into advanced residencies. We are committed to graduating resident physicians prepared to serve diverse communities.
Congratulations on beginning your journey in graduate medical education. We look forward to welcoming you to our team!
Greti Petersen, MD, FACP Program Director
Welcome from the Designated Institutional Official (DIO)
Welcome to the Morehouse School of Medicine-sponsored Internal Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Hospital. We are proud to partner with Memorial Hospital and CommonSpirit Health through the More in Common Alliance to prepare the next generation of physicians while advancing health equity and expanding access to care.
At Morehouse School of Medicine, we are committed to providing a supportive learning environment where residents receive the mentorship, resources and clinical experiences needed to grow as compassionate, skilled physicians. We believe that patient safety, quality care and resident well-being are essential to developing future leaders who will make a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Chinedu Ivonye, MD, FACP
Professor of Medicine
Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education
ACGME Designated Institutional Official (DIO)
Morehouse School of Medicine
The Morehouse School of Medicine–Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Transitional Year Residency Program follows a 13-block structure, with rotations primarily at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. This curriculum is designed to build a strong clinical foundation, preparing residents for advanced specialty training through comprehensive clinical exposure across inpatient wards, intensive care units, and outpatient clinics.
Residents complete 28 weeks of fundamental clinical skills in primary specialties including internal medicine, critical care, emergency medicine and ambulatory care general internal medicine.
Throughout the one-year program, residents will complete 8 weeks of additional required rotations that include medical, surgical, and hospital-based specialties in services important to their future career tracks. (4 weeks of general surgery, 2 weeks of anesthesiology, and 2 weeks of addiction medicine).
The program includes 12 weeks of elective rotations, which can be tailored to each resident’s career goals, ensuring a well-rounded clinical experience and equipping residents with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their future specialties.
The program provides a structured didactic curriculum including morning reports, grand rounds, simulation workshops and case discussions. These mandatory sessions serve as protected time, ensuring residents are free from clinical duties to engage in weekly educational activities.
Training takes place across facilities in Bakersfield, providing residents with comprehensive clinical exposure in various settings throughout Kern County.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield, California
Clinica Sierra Vista
Bakersfield, California
Residents are eligible for benefits beginning on their first day of hire.
For the 2026-2027 academic year, annual resident salaries are:
PGY-1: $78,000.00
PGY-2: $79,170.00
PGY-3: $80,358.00
PGY-4: $81,563.00
Medical coverage with resident premiums paid in full and low-cost dependent coverage
Dental and vision coverage with premiums paid in full for residents and enrolled dependents
Life and AD&D insurance
Long-term disability insurance
Optional spousal and dependent life insurance
Four weeks of paid vacation and holiday leave
Paid medical, parental and caregiver leave
Professional liability insurance
403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match
Additional institution- and program-specific resident benefits
Community is a feeling of fellowship with others with whom you share common attitudes, interests, and goals. Central California is home to golden opportunities to soak up the sun, enjoy family time, and savor delicious local delicacies.
Application Process
We accept applications exclusively through ERAS.
Application Requirements
Role: Program Director
Program/affiliation: Internal Medicine, Clinica Sierra Vista (Comprehensive Care Center) FQHC
Medical school: Romania, Faculty of Medicine University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova
Residency: Kern Medical Center
Clinical/academic interests: Medical education, teaching new generations of physicians, caring for vulnerable populations, obesity medicine initiatives
Role: Core Faculty
Program/affiliation: Emergency Medicine
Medical school: Keck Medical School at University of Southern California
Residency: Transitional Year – Harbor-UCLA Medical Center / Emergency Medicine Residency – Kern Medical Center
Board certification: Emergency Medicine
Clinical/academic interests: Teaching medical students and residents, pediatric emergency medicine, critical care, group management and administration
Role: Core Faculty
Program/affiliation: Internal Medicine, Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical school: China Medical University, Shenyang
Residency: Michigan State University/Hurley Medical Center
Clinical/academic interests: Serving the local community
Role: Core Faculty
Program/affiliation: Internal Medicine, Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical school: St. George's University, School of Medicine
Residency: Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield
Clinical/academic interests: Inpatient medicine, quality improvement, and patient safety
Role: Core Faculty; Faculty Lead for Transitional Year Surgical Rotation; Endocrine and General Surgeon; Interventional Endocrinologist
Program/affiliation: Dignity Health Medical Group-Bakersfield and Merced; Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Medical school: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic
Fellowship: Endocrine Surgery, Cleveland Clinic
Board certification: Board Certified in General Surgery; Certified Endocrine Surgeon
Clinical/academic interests: Endocrine surgery and interventional endocrinology, endocrine oncology, cancer biology and genetics, resident education and mentorship, and integrated endocrine and head-and-neck care throughout Bakersfield and the Central Valley.
Role: Core Faculty
Program/affiliation: Anesthesiology
Medical school: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Residency: Johns Hopkins
Fellowship: Ohio State University College of Medicine
Clinical/academic interests: Perioperative safety, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, critical care, graduate medical education, and mentorship
Role: Faculty, Outpatient Clinica Sierra Vista
Program/affiliation: Primary Care Provider, Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinica Sierra Vista, FQHC
Medical school: Keck School of Medicine at USC
Residency: Olive View-UCLA
Clinical/academic interests: Medical education, clinical informatics
Medical school: University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine
Hometown: Columbia, Missouri
Professional interests: Diagnostic radiology
Personal interests: Soccer, basketball, tennis, hiking, cooking, and watching movies
Medical school: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Simi Valley, California
Professional Interests: Diagnostic radiology, anatomy, medical education, and teaching.
Personal interests: Drawing and painting, playing chess, exploring new places through travel, and spending time with my family and my American Akita.
Medical school: Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Hazlet, New Jersey
Professional interests: Anesthesiology, critical care, perioperative medicine, and acute patient management
Personal interests: Playing cricket, watching soccer, and biking
Medical school: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Professional interests: Radiology, global health, research
Personal interests: Running, paddle sports, and cooking
Medical school: California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: San Jose, California
Professional interests: Physical medicine and rehabilitation, sports medicine
Personal interests: Experimenting with new recipes and powerlifting
Medical school: Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, California
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Professional interests: Anesthesiology, critical care
Personal interests: Martial arts, singing, horror movies, reading, and video games
Medical school: Iran University of Medical Sciences
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Professional interests: Radiology, academic research, patient-centered care
Personal interests: Playing tennis, going to the gym, and cooking
Medical school: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Hometown: Poway, California
Professional interests: Breast imaging, intraductal papillomas
Personal interests: Water activities, including snorkeling and exploring tide pools; speaking Spanish; learning to play golf; and visiting new cities and coffee shops
Medical school: University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Professional interests: Radiology, global health, informatics
Personal interests: Reading and traveling
Medical school: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Professional interests: Anesthesiology
Personal interests: Sports, music, watching movies, and cooking
