Build the clinical knowledge, judgment and experience needed to care for patients across a wide range of internal medicine settings. The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, California provides comprehensive, mentorship-driven training rooted in academic excellence, service and a commitment to improving health in diverse and historically underserved communities.
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. This collaboration supports a shared commitment to developing a diverse physician workforce and preparing residents to provide culturally responsive care. Residents benefit from the clinical resources and community connections of Memorial Hospital, the academic support and educational expertise of Morehouse School of Medicine and the broader network of Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health. As part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health systems, the program also provides experience caring for a diverse patient population and understanding the health needs and perspectives of the communities it serves.
Through inpatient, outpatient, critical care and subspecialty experiences, residents develop the skills needed to become capable, compassionate and resilient internal medicine physicians. Supported by dedicated faculty and a collaborative learning environment, graduates are prepared to serve patients in Kern County and beyond.
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.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Hospital, offered in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine.
Based at Kern County’s largest hospital, our program provides broad clinical experience across inpatient, critical care, emergency and specialty medicine in a supportive learning environment. Morehouse School of Medicine serves as our sponsoring institution, providing academic support and educational resources, while Memorial Hospital’s connection to Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health gives residents access to a broader network of clinical expertise across California.
Our diverse and committed faculty provide a robust curriculum aligned with Morehouse School of Medicine’s focus on health promotion and care for underserved communities, including the diverse patient populations of Kern County and Southern California. We are proud of the physicians we are preparing and appreciate your interest in our program.
Arash Heidari, MD, FACP, FIDSA
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 Memorial Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program offers a broad-based curriculum designed to build clinical knowledge, strengthen decision-making and prepare residents for independent practice in internal medicine.
The academic year is organized into 13 four-week blocks. Residents progress through inpatient, outpatient, critical care and subspecialty experiences while maintaining continuity clinic responsibilities throughout training.
First-year residents establish a strong foundation in the diagnosis and management of common and complex medical conditions. Training includes:
Inpatient medicine
Critical care
Night float
Infectious disease
Nephrology
General internal medicine outpatient care
Neurology
Subspecialty ambulatory care
Continuity clinic
Pulmonary medicine
Addiction medicine
Second-year residents build greater independence and expand their exposure to medical subspecialties. Training includes:
Inpatient medicine
Critical care
Night float
Cardiology
Pulmonary medicine
Addiction medicine
Gastroenterology
Individualized educational experiences
Continuity clinic
Emergency medicine
Third-year residents continue developing the clinical judgment, leadership and specialty knowledge needed for independent practice or fellowship training. Experiences include:
Inpatient medicine
Critical care
Endocrinology
Rheumatology
Hematology
Oncology
Geriatric medicine
Hospice and palliative medicine
Subspecialty ambulatory care
Individualized educational experiences
Continuity clinic
Continuity clinic is integrated across all three years of training, allowing residents to develop long-term relationships with patients and strengthen their outpatient internal medicine skills.
During PGY-2 and PGY-3, residents participate in individualized educational experiences that allow them to explore areas aligned with their professional interests and career goals.
Residents gain experience across inpatient medicine, critical care, emergency care, ambulatory internal medicine and a range of medical subspecialties. This progression supports increasing responsibility and prepares residents for careers in primary care, hospital medicine or fellowship training.
Residents train in inpatient, outpatient, critical care and subspecialty settings throughout Bakersfield and Kern County.
Dignity Health – Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield, California
Clinica Sierra Vista
Bakersfield, California
Dignity Health Medical Group
Bakersfield, California
Kaiser Permanente
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
PGY-2: $79,170
PGY-3: $80,358
PGY-4: $81,563
Medical coverage (resident premiums paid in full; low-cost dependent coverage)
Dental and vision coverage for residents and enrolled dependents
Life, AD&D and long-term disability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Optional spousal and dependent life insurance
Four weeks of paid vacation annually
Paid medical, parental and caregiver leave for qualifying reasons
Program-specific educational and professional development benefits (vary by sponsoring institution and residency program)
Optional 403(b) retirement savings plan
Bakersfield offers a welcoming place to live and train, with a diverse community, affordable cost of living, abundant sunshine and easy access to outdoor recreation throughout Central California.
All applicants must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
A complete application includes:
Program Director
Infectious Disease
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and Dignity Health Foundation of Bakersfield
Medical School: Azad University Tehran, Iran
Residency: Kern Medical Center
Fellowship: Infectious Disease, Cedars-Sinai/UCLA Multicampus Program
Clinical Interests: Understanding the pathophysiology of complicated internal medicine cases and discovering the correlation of comorbidities. Known for expertise in coccidioidomycosis and have pursued this fungus for decades.
Fun Facts/Interests: I enjoy family time, basketball, sightseeing, music, dancing, and topics in astrophysics and mechanical engineering.
Associate Program Director
Internal Medicine
Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical School: American University of Caribbean, St. Maarten
Residency: Kern Medical Center, served as Chief Resident 3rd year
Clinical Interests: Inpatient Medicine and QI Projects
Fun Facts/Interests: Love traveling, have been to over 15 countries and counting. Love trying different cuisines and eating at fine culinary restaurants. Recently became a mother- so learning to navigate motherhood has been the most recent challenge!
Core Faculty
Internal Medicine
Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical School: China Medical University, Shenyang
Residency: Michigan State University/Hurley Medical Center (PGY1-3)
Fun Facts/Interests: Grew up in Bakersfield, completed my medical training and decided to move back to serve the local community. I enjoy traveling, exploring different cultures and histories during my time off.
Core Faculty, Outpatient Clinica Sierra Vista Site Director
Primary Care Provider, Internal Medicine
Outpatient Clinica Sierra Vista (Large FQHC in California)
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine at USC
Residency: Olive View-UCLA
Clinical Interests: Medical education and clinical informatics
Fun Facts/Interests: California native, born and raised in Los Angeles and completing all of her training in Los Angeles. In her free time, she likes baking and trying out new recipes and spending time with family.
Core Faculty
Internal Medicine
Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical School: MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences
Residency: Loyola MacNeal Hospital
Clinical Interests: Hospital Medicine, Quality Assurance & Utilization management.
Fun Facts/Interests: The word doctor is derived from the Latin verb “docere” meaning "to teach" and this has always been something I enjoy. I enjoy playing Cricket, trying new foods, and spending time with my wife and daughters.
Core Faculty
Primary Care Provider, Internal Medicine
Dignity Health Medical Group
Medical School: USC School of Medicine
Residency: Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Primary disease prevention and health care maintenance.
Fun Facts/Interests: Enjoys teaching the next generation of physicians.
Core Faculty
Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Pulmonary, Sleep Medicine
Medical School: Dow Medical College University of Karachi
Residency: Wayne University School of Medicine/Detroit Medical Center
Fellowships: Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Disorder, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
Clinical Interests: Pulmonary hypertension, sleep disorders
Fun Facts/Interests: Traveling
Core Faculty
Internal Medicine
Inpatient Hospital Medicine
Medical School: Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India
Residency: Kern Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Hospital Medicine
Fun Facts/Interests: I would love to travel a lot more than I have done yet. I like to fix things around the house myself or anything that intrigues me.
Core Faculty
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 Interests: I have always been interested in medical education, in teaching new generations of internists and excited to join a new program that will address the community needs in providing more exceptionally trained physicians to take care of our community. I have spent all my professional life in graduate medical education, caring for vulnerable populations in inpatient and outpatient internal medicine and obesity medicine (diplomate in Obesity Medicine since 2023).
Fun Facts/Interests: Traveling, avid reader, spending time with family and friends (some of them being my former residents), volunteering
Faculty
Cardiology
Subspecialty Education Coordinator of Cardiovascular Rotation
Medical School: DMCH, Panjab University, India
Residency: Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Fellowship: University of Vermont, Burlington
Clinical Interests: Everything Interventional in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Fun Facts/Interests: Watching Cricket, Reading Medical Journals
Faculty
Infectious Disease
Subspecialty Education Coordinator of Infectious Diseases Rotation
Medical School: University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Manila
Residency: State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn
Fellowship: State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn
Clinical Interests: Principal Investigator in 200 clinical trials related to the treatment of patients with HIV, chronic viral hepatitis, and COVID-19.
Fun Facts/Interests: Billiards, Basketball, Boxing, Physics
Faculty
Nephrology
Subspecialty Education Coordinator of Nephrology Rotation
Medical School: Aga Khan University
Residency: Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia
Fellowship: Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh
Clinical Interests: Chronic Kidney Disease, Hypertension
Fun Facts/Interests: Running, Traveling
Faculty
Internal Medicine
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Residency: Northwestern University
Clinical Interests: General Outpatient Internal Medicine
Fun Facts/Interests: Enjoy skiing, golfing, cooking and baking. I can often be spotted walking two large German Shepherds.
Faculty
Adult Primary Care, Urgent Care, Internal Medicine
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
Residency: Internal Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
Clinical Interests: Primary care delivery, quality improvement, urgent care operations, and physician leadership development
Fun Facts/Interests: Passionate about mentoring physicians and developing future leaders. Love to experience new places and foods! Visited 30+ national parks, 25+ states and 20+ foreign countries. Lifelong goal of visiting all national parks, all 50 states, all 7 continents and as many countries as possible.
Class of 2028
Hometown: Woodland Hills, CA
Undergrad: University of California Irvine
Medical School: University of Medicine and Health Sciences St. Kitts
Professional Interests: Hospitalist or GI Fellowship
Hobbies: Soccer
Hometown: Faridkot, Punjab, India
Undergrad: Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Medical School: Guru Gobind Singh Medical College
Professional Interests: Cardiology
Hobbies: Swimming, Hiking, Gym, Spending time with family.
Hometown: Rockwall, TX
Undergrad: University of Nigeria
Medical School: University of Nigeria Faculty of Medicine
Professional Interests: Hospital medicine and fellowship opportunities
Hobbies: Dancing, walking, and trying new cuisines
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Berkeley
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Cardiology with further specialization in Electrophysiology or Interventional Cardiology
Hobbies: Hiking, visiting national parks, and listening to music
Hometown: Canoga Park, CA
Undergrad: Dhaka Medical College
Medical School: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University
Professional Interests: Fellowship in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Hobbies: Travel
Hometown: Patiala, Punjab
Undergrad: Dayanand Medical College
Medical School: Dayanand Medical College
Professional Interests: Hospitalist, Hematology, and Oncology
Hobbies: Cooking, gym, hiking, and spending time with my family
Hometown: Cupertino, California
Undergrad: University of Pittsburgh
Medical School: University College Dublin
Professional Interests: Hematology/Oncology
Hobbies: Hiking, playing basketball, tennis, and beach volleyball, art history, visiting museums, and play board games.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergrad: Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine
Medical School: Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Hospital Medicine
Hobbies: Reading, cooking, listening to music, spending time with family & friends.
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Undergrad: California State University, Bakersfield
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Cardiology, Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Education, and Clinical Research
Hobbies: Bird watching, botany, running, weight lifting, travel, cooking, and learning new languages.
Hometown: Mission Viejo, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Riverside
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interests: Primary Care & Preventive Medicine
Hobbies: Going to the gym, hiking, and cooking
Class of 2029
Medical school: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Fresno, California
Professional interests: Cardiology, infectious disease, biomedical engineering, medical education
Personal interests: Auto mechanics, competitive gaming, and baking
Medical school: University of Jordan Faculty of Medicine
Hometown: Glendale, California
Professional interests: Research, business development
Personal interests: Powerlifting, handyman projects, and sharing meals and activities with friends
Medical school: Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore
Hometown: Santa Clara, California
Professional interests: Endocrinology, nephrology, teaching
Personal interests: Gardening, basketball, and hiking
Medical school: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Fresno, California
Professional interests: Community service
Personal interests: Cooking, hiking, and gardening
Medical school: Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital & Research Centre
Hometown: Burlington, Massachusetts
Professional interests: Hematology and oncology, hospital management
Personal interests: Volunteering, traveling, reading, and aspiring to become a pilot
Medical school: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Grafton, Wisconsin
Professional interests: Pulmonary and critical care, hematology and oncology
Personal interests: Singing, weightlifting, swimming, reading, and learning new languages
Medical school: Jinnah Medical & Dental College
Hometown: Duluth, Georgia
Professional interests: Hospital medicine, academic medicine
Personal interests: Table tennis, cricket, cycling, camping, traveling, experiencing diverse cultures, writing poetry and lyrics, and volunteering
Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown: Bakersfield, California
Professional interests: Hospital medicine
Personal interests: Exploring, reading, and cooking
Medical school: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Hometown: Bell, California
Professional interests: Hospital medicine
Personal interests: Playing soccer, running, reading, and following current events
Medical school: Deccan College of Medical Sciences
Hometown: Irving, Texas
Professional interests: Endocrinology, quality improvement
Personal interests: Crocheting, baking, and traveling
For additional information about Memorial Hospital's Internal Medicine Residency Program, please contact:
Bianca Rodriguez
Residency Program Administrator
Internal Medicine Residency Program
Email: bianca.rodriguez905@commonspirit.org
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