A welcome message from the Chair

The Department of Medicine in UC Irvine's School of Medicine is a dynamic, multispecialty group of highly skilled faculty members who work at the forefront of medical discovery and education to deliver excellent and comprehensive patient care.

With more than 230 highly engaged full-time physicians and researchers, as well as 160 interns, residents and fellows, we are the largest department in the university's highly regarded School of Medicine, which is ranked among the top 50 U.S. medical schools by U.S. News & World Report.

Our "home" hospital is UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange County's only university hospital and Level I trauma center. Its Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 41 in the country to earn the National Cancer Institute's designation for excellence. The medical center also is one of the nation's 50 best hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report, and among 50 to make the "Leapfrog Top Hospitals" list for quality and safety.

UC Irvine faculty members include Nobel laureates and members of the National Academies of Sciences. Their scientific research and discoveries have led to many new technologies and therapies that have improved healthcare. More than a dozen faculty members in the Department of Medicine have repeatedly been named "Best Doctors in America®" in comprehensive surveys of their peers.

Our department, which is comprised of 11 divisions, oversees a comprehensive undergraduate medical education curriculum, an internal medicine residency program, fellowships and clinical programs in a broad range of internal medicine subspecialties.

Some of our physicians have developed leading-edge models of clinical care in created multi-specialty programs in cardiovascular medicine and integrative digestive diseases. Others are nationally recognized experts in general internal medicine, interventional pulmonary medicine, infectious diseases, nephrology, occupational and environmental health, endocrinology and rheumatology.

The physician-scientists in our Division of Hematology Oncology head our prestigious cancer center and the leaders of the Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology established the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiency, one of only 50 clinics in the world devoted to the diagnosis and care of people born with compromised immune systems.

We are establishing endowed chairs in immunodeficiency, gastrointestinal oncology and for the Department of Medicine, itself, to advance scientific research, education and clinical care in these important areas. 

The Department of Medicine provides a vibrant, challenging educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students, residents and fellows. We sponsor fully accredited internal medicine residency training and a range of subspecialty programs. The department also offers continuing medical education for the region's practicing physicians.

Clinical training takes place at the medical center in Orange, VA Long Beach Healthcare System and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center as well as Kaiser Permanente facilities. Our residents and fellows also work at ambulatory care practices on the Irvine campus and at the medical center in Orange, as well as at community-based teaching sites. These comprehensive programs offer exposure to diverse clinical environments and patients of all ages and walks of life.

Research is an essential function of each of our divisions. With hundreds of active research protocols, Department of Medicine investigators have attracted more than $43 million in grants to support clinical studies, translational and biomedical research, behavioral studies and the training of future innovators. About 65 percent of those research dollars come from the National Institutes of Health and other governmental sources. This gives our residents and fellows considerable opportunities for research in broad-based basic science, clinical studies and health policy.

Our rigorous evaluation processes have been lauded by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and theAccreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), In fact, our residents pass their boards and receive accreditation at a rate exceeding 98 percent. Of the 70 percent of our residents who seek further specialized training, nearly all win highly competitive fellowship programs at UC Irvine and other prominent teaching hospitals across the United States.

We in the Department of Medicine are dedicated to ensuring the highest quality, comprehensive patient care throughout our many divisions and programs.