Desert Regional Medical Center
Core Site assignments are for year three only. Clerkship placement during year four is based solely on the site’s availability and approval. Students must follow the scheduling protocols outlined by the location and the Clinical Education Guidelines.
Desert Regional Medical Center is a 24-hour Level 1 Trauma Center – the only Level 1 trauma center in the Coachella Valley, covering more than 8,000 square miles. Operated by Tenet Health, the 387-bed tertiary acute care hospital has received certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Desert Regional also has the community’s only certified programs in spine surgery and hip and knee replacement. As part of its award-winning stroke services, the hospital has a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit.
Founded in 1948, Desert Regional Medical Center has a long history of providing excellence in medical care. The core service lines include cardiology, orthopedics and neurosciences, neonatal services with the Coachella Valley’s only neonatal intensive care unit, and oncology at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Currently, there are more than 300 physicians on staff at Desert Regional Medical Center covering more than 40 specialties.
Due to our location and also as a major tourist attraction, we have a large variety of pathology that presents to our institution making it an ideal setting for both undergraduate and graduate medical education. Palm Springs also has a very large LGBTQ community, which enhances the diversity of our patient population. In addition, the Family Medicine Residency program has mobile medical units, where residents and students go out and serve communities in need, including the homeless, migrant farm workers, refugees seeking asylum and middle/high school students. We strive to meet the healthcare needs for low socioeconomic populations, independent of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and economic status. Our program provides a unique experience by delivering care in many settings, such as urban and rural communities and those with lack of healthcare access and struggling with social determinants of health.
Third-Year Clerkships
- Behavioral Health (1 month) - Inpatient/Outpatient
- Child and Adolescent Health (1 month) - Inpatient/Outpatient
- Family Medicine (1 month) - Inpatient/Outpatient
- Internal Medicine (2 months) - Inpatient/Outpatient
- Women's Health (1 month) - Inpatient/Outpatient
- Surgery (2 months) - Inpatient/Outpatient
This site schedules clinical experiences in 1-month increments.
Third-Year Selectives
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These are clinical experiences completed in addition to the third-year core clerkships. The student may have some ability to choose from a list of available selective clerkships. The Core Site determines the selective clerkships available based on the resources at the Core Site. If applicable, selective opportunities will be communicated to students at the core site’s discretion after the match.
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Selective clerkship opportunities are not available away from the Core Site during the third year. Exceptions to this policy may occur for students officially enrolled in the Military and Global Health Tracks or completing third-year selective(s) away from the Core Site as part of the Specialty Track requirements.
Residency Information
- Emergency Medicine Residency
- Family Medicine Residency
- General Surgery Residency
- Surgery Critical Care Fellowship
- Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship
- EM Ultrasound Fellowship
Resources & Benefits
- Facility Resources: Students have access to the following while on service: Computer, Medical Library, Intranet, Medical Records, Lounge, Printer and Phone
- Meal Benefits: Access to Resident Lounge, cafeteria and the doctor's lounge after hours
- Housing: Site can assist with offering short-term housing within working distance of the hospital
Duties & Opportunities
- Student Duties: Students are required to participate in weekly night call, and monthly weekend rounds as assigned by the preceptor or service
- Didactic Opportunities: Students are required to participate in weekly Didactics
- OMT/OPP Opportunities: Opportunities for skill development in OMT/OPP is available during some clerkships.
Unique Site Characteristics
- Background check required annually
- BLS and ACLS certifications must be current
- Copy of Curriculum Vitae (CV), BLS Certification, Driver's License, HIPAA and OSHA Certificates and Medical Insurance Cards required
- Drug screen required annually
- Global Track and Military Track students must communicate third-year clerkship obligations to site as soon as the Clerkship Match Process is finalized
- Orientation provided prior to the first clerkship
- TB screening required annually
- Speaking Spanish is helpful
Once the Clerkship Site Match is finalized for your class, KCU Clinical Education will notify students when contacting clerkship sites directly is permitted.
Contact Information
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Contact Clinical Education