Letter From Our Residency Directors

Dear Future Highlander,

For over four decades, Highland Emergency Medicine has trained top clinicians, thought leaders, and fierce patient advocates. We do this by delivering a  dynamic curriculum, fostering resident innovation, and championing our trainees. Highland’s legendary training prepares you to practice in any setting—from academic centers to community hospitals, from Bhutan’s peaks to Lima’s shores. Our alumni carry this shared experience into leadership roles in medical education, administration, research, and clinical practice. We are Emergency Medicine.

Highland EM training is based primarily at Alameda Health System – Highland Hospital, the only adult Level 1 trauma center in Alameda County, serving a population of ~1 million with 70,000 annual visits. As the county’s safety-net hospital, Highland provides unmatched responsibility and diversity of experience, ensuring our residents excel in any environment. Training is complemented by rotations at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a world leader in quaternary care and research; UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, a nationally renowned pediatric Level 1 trauma center; and Kaiser Oakland & Eden Medical Center, both distinct community practice sites. Together, these rotations create an unparalleled training experience.

Beyond clinical excellence, Highland has set the standard in substance use disorders (SUD) treatment, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and social emergency medicine. Our Addiction Medicine division is a national model for low-barrier treatment; residents master evidence-based interventions, engage in grant-funded research, and often match into competitive fellowships. Our Ultrasound division, led by world-renowned faculty and supported by two fellows annually, offers robust opportunities for national and international teaching. Residents gain mastery of advanced POCUS applications including nerve blocks, rarely taught elsewhere. Despite being a small department, our Research division is remarkably prolific, with strong opportunities in Social EM—spanning palliative care for underserved populations, equitable care for justice-involved patients, and increasing diversity in medicine.

At Highland, our residency is the heart of our department. We aim to nurture and guide every resident, balancing serious commitment to patient care with genuine attention to wellness and community. We truly believe our residents are among the best-trained and happiest in the country, a sentiment echoed by our devoted alumni. Four decades of experience have given us unique depth and perspective on what makes a great training program, and our graduates continue to shape the direction of EM. 

Please consider joining us and becoming part of the legend of Highland Emergency Medicine.