The Dignity Health Family Medicine Residency at Northridge, affiliated with David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been guiding residents to become family medicine physicians and providing quality healthcare to San Fernando Valley residents since 1976. The program is dedicated to challenging and inspiring residents to learn across various medical settings.
As part of Dignity Health, we are a member of CommonSpirit Health's national network of more than 2,200 care sites across 24 states. That broad perspective supports our local commitment to community-based training, health equity and compassionate care.
Residents serve a diverse patient population in the San Fernando Valley, a vibrant cosmopolitan setting in Southern California, including vulnerable individuals lacking resources. Training occurs in hospital, office, skilled nursing facilities and patients' homes, utilizing the modernized Dignity Health Northridge Family Medicine clinic.
The program equips residents with essential skills to become great family medicine doctors, preparing them for careers as community primary care physicians, hospitalists, geriatricians, sports medicine doctors or family medicine educators.
Welcome to the Dignity Health Family Medicine Residency at Northridge, affiliated with David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA!
Since 1976, the Family Medicine Residency at Northridge has been actively engaged in the dual missions of guiding residents to become family medicine physicians and providing quality healthcare to the residents of the San Fernando Valley. Today we have successfully produced over 250 graduates who are now serving as family medicine physicians throughout our state and nation. We are proud of our ongoing service to the underserved of our valley through providing quality care to our patients in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.
Our program is committed to creating an environment to empower you to become the family medicine physician your patients need. Northridge offers excellent training in maternity care, sports medicine, hospital care and ambulatory family medicine. We are dedicated to challenge and inspire you to learn across various medical settings. At Northridge, you will learn the essential skills to be a great family medicine doctor, whether you ultimately work as a community primary care physician, a hospitalist, a geriatrician, a sports medicine doctor or a family medicine educator.
Our residency supports a dynamic and ever-changing learning environment for young physicians. We balance the need for intense and fulfilling educational experiences with emphasis on personal growth and support for life outside of the program. If you are a motivated, caring and idealistic student, we want to give you the experience, knowledge and skills to become the family medicine physician you want to be.
Chris Kuhlman, M.D.
Program Director
The Dignity Health Family Medicine Residency Program at Northridge offers a challenging and comprehensive three-year curriculum, providing broad-spectrum training across diverse medical settings and patient populations.
The first year focuses on foundational training, including Inpatient Medicine, Night Float, Obstetrics, Family Medicine Center/Community Medicine, Pediatrics and Surgery rotations, with dedicated vacation time.
The second year provides expanded clinical responsibility with rotations in Elective, Emergency Medicine, Gynecology/Orthopedics, Inpatient Medicine, Night Float, Pediatrics/Ambulatory Pediatrics, and Family Medicine/Community Medicine, with dedicated vacation time.
The third year prepares residents for independent practice through rotations in Dermatology, Elective, ENT/Urology/Ophthalmology, Family Medicine/Urgent Care Clinic, Gynecology/Geriatrics, Inpatient Medicine/Chief, Night Float, Senior Resident Obstetrics, and Sports Medicine, with dedicated vacation time.
The program offers a strong focus on sports medicine, benefiting from an integrated Sports Medicine fellowship. Residents receive didactics from sports medicine physicians and work alongside fellows in sports medicine clinics and covering local high school sports teams, gaining hands-on experience with point-of-care ultrasound, joint injections and casting and splinting.
Residents attend daily noon conferences and participate in monthly educational workshops. Geriatric topics are regularly included in noontime lectures, as part of the medicine and behavioral health curricula.
The program utilizes a night float system, eliminating traditional 24-hour call. Residents on inpatient rotations have intermittent long call shifts until 8:00 p.m., then sign out to the night float team. Night float is a block rotation occurring twice in PGY-1, twice in PGY-2, and once in PGY-3, covering inpatient services from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Residents gain hands-on experience with point-of-care ultrasound for sports medicine, joint injections, and casting and splinting. The surgery rotation provides exposure to basic surgical procedures and office procedures such as incision and drainage of abscesses, skin biopsy, skin lesion removal, cryotherapy and toenail avulsion. Residents also learn to assist in Cesarean sections and tubal ligations.
Residents have six elective blocks in their PGY-2 and PGY-3 years, offering opportunities to explore areas of interest or gain more experience in rural or community health. Residents can choose from pre-arranged electives or design their own educational experiences, including one independent away rotation during their senior year. Past electives include Rheumatology, Podiatry, Infectious Disease, Outpatient Surgery, Geriatrics/Palliative care and Hospice medicine, Pain management/Addiction medicine, Diabetes camp, Global health relief, Rural/Indian health and Research/Scholarly projects.
The program's primary training sites are located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, providing diverse clinical experiences across various settings.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center
Northridge, California
Dignity Health Northridge Family Medicine (Clinic)
Northridge, California
Northeast Valley Health Center (FQHC)
San Fernando Valley Area, California
Skilled nursing facility
Northridge, 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: $78,039.45
PGY-2: $80,380.64
PGY-3: $83,195.04
Chief resident: $87,500.67
Medical plan premiums paid in full for residents; low-cost coverage for enrolled dependents
Dental & Vision insurance premiums paid in full for residents and enrolled dependents
Life and AD&D insurance (1x annual salary) paid by CommonSpirit; additional coverage available
Long-term disability insurance (60% of base pay)
Optional spousal and dependent life insurance
Professional liability insurance
Four weeks of paid vacation and holiday leave annually
Paid medical, parental and caregiver leave for qualifying reasons
Additional program- and institution-specific educational benefits may be available
403(b) retirement plan with pre-tax contributions through Fidelity and employer match (eligibility requirements apply)
Additional benefits vary by sponsoring institution and residency program
Northridge is an urban community in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, a vibrant cosmopolitan setting in Southern California. This socioeconomic, ethnically, and religiously diverse community is located approximately 30 minutes from the beach and downtown Los Angeles. Residents enjoy year-round Southern California lifestyle with proximity to numerous amenities, including restaurants, shopping malls, amusement parks like Universal Studios, Dodger Stadium, museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and various parks. California State University Northridge, UCLA, and USC are also nearby.
Application Process
Northridge Hospital Medical Center participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). All applicants must submit their application and supporting documents through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Required Application Materials
The ERAS post office opens in the fall for applicants. The application deadline is December 15. All interviews are conducted in person and virtually. Sample itineraries for interview days include a Meet and Greet/Q&A with Residents, Meet and Greet & Program Review with the Program Director, and 30-minute interviews with a Resident and a Faculty member. Virtual sessions (ZOOM) are also offered. Vaccines may be required.
International Medical Graduates
Visa sponsorship is not available. International graduates must provide ECFMG Certification (evidence of submission/receipt is unacceptable). Graduation within five years is strongly preferred.
Medical Student Clerkships
The program offers both Ambulatory and Inpatient elective rotations for fourth-year students attending LCME and AOA accredited medical schools. Rotations are typically 3 or 4 weeks in length. The application process is free, and the program offers meals, parking, and free accommodation in a resident house for students needing a place to stay. For inquiries, email Alexis.Lopez900@CommonSpirit.org.
Role: Designated Institutional Officer, Director of the Medical Safe Haven Clinic, Associate Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: UCLA School of Medicine
Role: Residency Program Director, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Residency: Hinsdale FP Residency in Illinois
Role: Associate Program Director, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
Residency: Northridge Board certification: Family Medicine, Obesity Medicine
Role: Sports Medicine Program Director & Family Medicine Faculty, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine
Residency: Tacoma Family Medicine
Fellowship: Primary Care Sports Medicine at UC Davis/UC Berkeley program
Role: Family Medicine Faculty, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: UCLA
Residency: Northridge
Clinical/academic interests: geriatrics, community outreach, nursing home visits, home visits, deliveries
Role: Family Medicine Faculty & OB/GYN Coordinator
Medical school: Autonomous University of Guadalajara
Residency: Northridge
Fellowship: Obstetrics Fellowship at Natividad Medical Center
Role: Family Medicine/Community Medicine Coordinator, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii
Residency: Northridge
Fellowship: Community Medicine at Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Role: Family Medicine Faculty & OB/GYN Coordinator, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Residency: Eastern Maine Medical Center
Fellowship: Maternity Care from the California Hospital /USC program
Clinical/academic interests: maternity and newborn care, obstetrical ultrasound
Role: Diabetes & Nutrition Educator
Role: Behavioral Health Coordinator
Role: Hospitalist Program Director/Inpatient Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: Georgetown University Medical School
Residency: Internal Medicine Residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Fellowship: health services research, Master of Public Health at UCLA
Role: Family Medicine/Hospitalist Attending
Medical school: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at Shadyside
Fellowship: Geriatric Fellowship at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Role: Family Medicine/Hospitalist Attending
Medical school: Western University of Health Sciences Residency: Northridge
Role: Family Medicine/Hospitalist Attending & Inpatient Medicine Coordinator, Volunteer Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Medical school: Western University of Health Sciences Residency: Northridge
Medical school: Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA
Medical school: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, ID
Medical school: Touro COM - Middletown, NY
Medical school: Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, TX
Medical school: Western University of Health Sciences COM, CA
Medical school: University of Pikeville, Kentucky COM, KY
Medical school: Drexel University College of Medicine, PA
Medical school: Universidad de Carabobo Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Aragua - UCLA IMG
Analisa Castaneda
Program Manager
Dignity Health Family Medicine Residency & Primary Care Sports Fellowship at Northridge
Phone: (818) 717-8259
Email: Analisa.Castaneda@CommonSpirit.org
Mailing Address:
18406 Roscoe Blvd
Northridge, CA 91325
For medical student rotations, please contact:
Alexis Lopez
Program Coordinator
Phone: (818) 717-8242
Email: Alexis.Lopez900@CommonSpirit.org
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