--- title: "About the Sacramento, Davis and Amador Family Medicine Residency Program at Sutter Health" description: "Learn more about the Sutter Amador Hospital, Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Medical Center Sacramento Family Medicine Residency Program." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Education](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education) / 3. [Graduate Medical Education](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme) / 4. [Residencies](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies) / 5. [Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine) / 6. About the Program # About the Residency Program **Section menu** - [Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine "Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento") - [About the Program](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about "About the Program") - [Amador Rural Training Track](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/amador "Amador Rural Training Track") - [Coast Rural Training Track](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast "Coast Rural Training Track") - [Educational Highlights](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/educational-highlights "Educational Highlights") - [Faculty](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/faculty "Faculty") - [FAQs](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/faqs "FAQs") - [Graduates](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/alumni "Graduates")   - [How to Apply](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/apply "How to Apply") - [Message From our Program Director](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/message-from-program-director "Message From our Program Director")  - [Residents](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/meet-our-residents "Residents") - [Testimonials](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/testimonials "Testimonials") - [Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine "Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento") - [About the Program](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about "About the Program") - [Amador Rural Training Track](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/amador "Amador Rural Training Track") - [Coast Rural Training Track](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast "Coast Rural Training Track") - [Educational Highlights](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/educational-highlights "Educational Highlights") - [Faculty](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/faculty "Faculty") - [FAQs](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/faqs "FAQs") - [Graduates](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/alumni "Graduates")   - [How to Apply](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/apply "How to Apply") - [Message From our Program Director](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/message-from-program-director "Message From our Program Director")  - [Residents](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/meet-our-residents "Residents") - [Testimonials](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/testimonials "Testimonials") ### Sutter Health Family Medicine Residency Program The Sutter Health Family Medicine Residency Program is committed to training exemplary family physicians of different backgrounds to be future healthcare leaders who provide expert person-centered care to a varied population within an evolving and integrated healthcare organization. [Why Choose Us](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/PDF/education/sutter-family-medicine-residency-why-choose-us.pdf) ### Sutter Amador Training Track **Overview**  The Sutter Amador Rural Training Track combines the best of both worlds with the first year spent training in our “flagship” medical center in Sacramento, CA and the second and third year spent in our state-of-the art hospital in rural Jackson, CA. ### Sutter Coast Training Track **Overview** Discover a training experience as dynamic as the communities you’ll serve. The Sutter Coast Rural Training Track blends the intensity of urban medicine with the heart of rural care. Begin your journey in Sacramento’s leading medical center, then head to California’s breathtaking North Coast for two immersive years serving a rural, limited access community. From cutting-edge clinical training to deeply meaningful patient relationships, this program empowers future physicians to lead with skill, compassion, and purpose — where they’re needed most. ## Sutter Sacramento Training Track **Overview** The Sacramento Training Track is the largest track with a 6-6-6 resident distribution and resides at 1201 Alhambra Blvd, just two blocks away from Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento (SMCS) in the heart of the midtown area. SMCS is a quaternary care, 500+ bed hospital consisting of Ose Adams Medical Pavilion and the more recent Anderson Lucchetti Women & Children’s Center, which opened in August of 2015. The location of the hospital has historical significance as some form of a hospital has resided here for almost a century serving the Sacramento area. Some consider it the de facto County hospital as it sees a disproportionately large number of uninsured patients in the area. Notable features include: convenient adjacent parking for resident & attending physicians, a walkable scenic span connecting the two hospitals (also with a lactation pod); a physician’s lounge with free hot breakfast and lunch during weekdays for house staff/residents; comprehensive cardiac, stroke, and NICU services; and a high number of obstetrical deliveries where FM-OB trained physicians work alongside OBGYN physicians. Resident meals allowances can be used at a gourmet cafeteria with daily chef-made specials spread out over several stations/cuisine types; or at an adjacent coffee shop where one might encounter espresso, smoothies, or strawberry match drinks; or at the metromart convenience store bearing snacks, coffee, and light meals. No hangry residents here! ![Family Residency Group Photo](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/Education/Family-Medicine---Photos/fam-med-residency-10pic.jpg) ## Sutter Davis Training Track **Overview** The Sutter Davis track resides in the same complex as Sutter Davis Hospital (SDH) just off Highway 113 at 2000 Sutter Place, in a suburban community/college town 20 minutes west of Sacramento. SDH serves the larger Davis community/Yolo County area and is consistently recognized for exceptional patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. SDH is known for its Family Birthing Center with water births, doulas, midwives, and FM-OB docs working alongside OBGYN docs! Also of note, Sutter Coast residents have their PGY-1 continuity clinic here while doing their SMCS-based rotations in nearby Sacramento. ### Opportunities **Four Tracks, One Program**  Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento (SMCS) is an award winning Quaternary Acute Care Hospital with everything a Family Medicine resident needs for a good education: a dedicated pediatric emergency room, a large inpatient pediatric care unit, 6,000+ obstetrical deliveries per year, and advanced care for cardiac, orthopedic, neurologic, and oncologic conditions. Throughout the Sutter Health organization, our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of people in the communities we serve through compassion and excellence. In our program, residents in all four tracks complete their first year of training at SMCS. Physicians in the Sacramento track continue to train in Sacramento for PGY-2&3. Physicians in the Sutter Davis track continue their training in the small-town setting of Davis. There, residents are part of a newly renovated outpatient/inpatient primary care facility within the vibrant community of a large public university and the smaller agricultural communities that surround it. Physicians in the Sutter Amador rural track continue their training in beautiful Amador County. There, residents work in the state-of-the-art, 52-bed Sutter Amador Hospital (just 75 minutes from Sacramento) and the newly remodeled Family Medicine Continuity Clinic. Physicians in the Sutter Coast rural track continue their training on the north coast in Del Norte County. There, residents transition to a rural and remote work environment at our 49-bed Sutter Coast Hospital Crescent City, California.  All residents have the opportunity to spend their elective time doing rotations at any of our four tracks. Though we have four separate tracks, residents feel the overarching unity of one program as they bond during shared didactics, team building, PGY level retreats, and special annual program retreat. **Curriculum**  Residents in all tracks remain closely integrated for all three years through shared outpatient rotation sites, weekly didactic sessions, and frequent social events. Residents become proficient in inpatient and outpatient procedures including obstetrical and gynecologic procedures, vasectomies, circumcisions, dermatologic procedures, as well as orthopedic injections and splinting. Our curriculum includes numerous unique training opportunities. ![Family Medicine Residency Group Photo](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/Education/Family-Medicine---Photos/fam-med-residency-casts.jpg) **Moonlighting and Community Care**  Our residents have the opportunity to participate in several moonlighting experiences, which provides a nice supplement to the already competitive salaries of Sutter residents. Furthermore, residents are involved with schools in the community where they perform sports physicals, and with community clinics where they volunteer time to care for the local uninsured population. Through these various experiences, residents are able to serve as mentors and attendings for medical students. ![Family Medicine Residency Group Photo](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/Education/Family-Medicine---Photos/fam-med-residency-pacers-sportsphy.jpg) ### About the Community **Sacramento**  Sacramento is California's capital city. The Sacramento metropolitan area is home to over 1.5 million people in environments that range from rural to suburban to decidedly urban, in a climate that many describe as "ideal." Sacramento offers a dynamic downtown center with opportunities to enjoy the arts, music, theater, dance and sports. Sacramento is home to the NBA Kings, and the River Cats minor league baseball team. Just a stone’s throw away from Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, history buffs can enjoy Sutter's Fort — home to the 1849 Gold Rush. Old Sacramento is a favorite hotspot for dining, riverboat cruises, and seasonal festivals. Sacramento encourages its residents to enjoy the outdoors. The climate boasts ample sunshine most of the year. Greenbelts, jogging paths and bike trails run throughout the city. The 23-mile American River Parkway is one of the largest urban recreational parks in the country, and provides opportunities for biking, rafting, wildlife viewing, fishing, golf, and picnicking. Day trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains satisfies the occasional ski or snowboard itch during the winter, or the craving for hiking, mountain biking or rock climbing during the warm summers. **Davis**  Davis, located 20 miles from Sacramento, is the setting for those who choose a less urban environment for their training. Davis is home to the University of California, and is located in a rich agricultural area. Davis offers a stimulating intellectual environment with the feel of a small community. Probably most known as the city with more bicycles per capita than any other in the nation, it is — like Sacramento — a gateway to all outdoor activities. Environmental and social activism are important values in this college town. **Amador**  Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Jackson is the county seat of Amador County, California. It is conveniently located an hour from Sacramento and two hours from Lake Tahoe. Amador County is rich in Miwok and Old West history and boasts world-class recreation, award-winning wineries and picturesque small towns. **Del Norte County** Del Norte County offers the perfect blend of work and play. Nestled along America’s Wild Rivers Coast, it’s a place where you can escape the ordinary and explore extraordinary natural beauty. Wander through ancient old-growth redwoods, paddle or fish in some of the cleanest rivers in the country, surf along rugged beaches, or stargaze under crystal-clear skies—far from city lights.  Outdoor adventures abound, from hiking, biking, and camping to horseback riding and world-class fishing. Our local economy is supported by a mix of agriculture, government services, education, tourism, and a vibrant network of small businesses that form the heart of our community. ### Family Medicine Centers **What to expect**  In the Family Medicine Centers, residents participate in innovative practice models and work alongside physicians who are helping to shape modern day medicine. Each resident works with assigned medical assistants, nurses and office staff dedicated to make clinics run smoothly. Residents care for a panel of patients assigned to them throughout their residency. It is not uncommon for a resident to take care of three generations within a single family. Residents spend 1-2 half-days per week in the Family Medicine Center in their first year, 2-3 half-days in their second year, and 3-4 half-days in their third year. All sites operate with state-of-the-art electronic health records (EPIC), resulting in near paperless offices. AI-based documentation software alleviates excessive typing. Each resident has their own dedicated workspace complete with computer and telephone. Our behavioral scientist is available to consult with residents about challenging patient-physician interactions and helps residents explore the biopsychosocial aspects of patient care. All residents take turns participating in weekly gynecology clinics treating uninsured patients, biweekly dermatology clinics, and geriatric assessment clinics. Vasectomies, circumcisions, colposcopy, skin procedures, nasopharyngoscopies, joint injections, casting and numerous other procedures are performed regularly in the on-site procedure rooms. **Sacramento Family Medicine Center**  The Sacramento clinic is located near downtown Sacramento, and serves an urban population. The clinic has 18 residents, several core faculty members, an incredible support staff, and several adjunct faculty members who enjoy precepting and teaching. Specialists from many disciplines are readily available for advice. **Davis Family Medicine Center**  The Sutter Davis clinic is located in the college/agricultural town of Davis, about 20 minutes west of Sacramento. Here, residents and faculty work closely together to care for a varied patient population, from farmers to university professors. Our clinic has 6 residents, several core faculty members, adjunct faculty preceptors and community FM physicians whose doors are always open for consults. We have the unique opportunity to learn in-patient medicine at a small community hospital (while keeping the support of the tertiary care consultants a phone call away). Plus, our community is full of parks and greenbelts and hosts a [phenomenal Farmer's market](http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/ "phenomenal Farmer's market"). **Amador Family Medicine Center**  [The Amador Clinic](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/amador) is located in the small town of Jackson, a little over an hour from Sacramento. Residents and faculty will work cooperatively on the many issues unique to rural areas. Our clinic has 4 residents and a full complement of core faculty and community faculty preceptors. The nearby Sutter Amador Hospital facilities will also support the clinic. **Coast Family Medicine Center** The Sutter Coast Community Clinic, located in Crescent City—the only incorporated city in Del Norte County—is approximately 350 miles from our urban site in Sacramento. This rural coastal community offers residents and faculty the opportunity to address the unique challenges of rural healthcare delivery firsthand. The clinic will host four residents, supported by a full team of core faculty and dedicated community preceptors. In addition, the nearby Sutter Coast Hospital will provide essential clinical support and facilities, enhancing the training experience and continuity of care for patients in our rural setting. ### Living in Sacramento California's capital city is home to rural, suburban and urban neighborhoods, all with the mild climate California is famous for. Our dynamic downtown center is a hub for arts, music, theater, minor league sports and one of the largest urban recreational parks in the country. [Get to Know the Area](https://www.visitsacramento.com/) ### Contact Us Program Director Ryan Spielvogel, M.D. Program Administrator Kenneth Enad   Sutter Health Family Medicine Residency Program 1201 Alhambra Blvd., Suite 340 Sacramento, CA 95816 [916-731-7866](tel:916-731-7866) If you would like to correspond with our residents, please send your request to: [sutterfmrp@sutterhealth.org](mailto:sutterfmrp@sutterhealth.org) To reach the Alhambra Family Medicine Residency Clinic: Patient Clinic Appointments: [916-451-4400](tel:916-451-4400) Clinic Fax: [916-731-7955](tel:916-731-7955) [Get in Touch](mailto:mailto:sutterfmrp@sutterhealth.org) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"About the Sacramento, Davis and Amador Family Medicine Residency Program at Sutter Health","description":"Learn more about the Sutter Amador Hospital, Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Medical Center Sacramento Family Medicine Residency Program.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/about#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Education","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Graduate Medical Education","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Residencies","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Family Medicine, Amador, Coast, Davis and Sacramento","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"About the Program"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Sutter Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Sacramento Area","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/99fe3b73-0261-4a8b-b1a7-6179861935ab/43795698-a133-46c5-92c7-c99647acfb32/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2020-07-14T20:10:40.259Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6171292952001","description":"A stand-alone 27 resident community-based program offering one of three tracks. First year inpatient training is in Sacramento, then residents' clinical experiences continue in either urban Sacramento, the nearby city of Davis or rural Amador County.","duration":"PT5M28S","transcript":"Residents should expect to be full doctors.\nThe second they start with all the responsibility,\nthey see the same patients I see.\nThey deliver babies, they take care of newborns,\nand we teach 'em all to do it as they go.\nVariety is always good.\nThere's big city medicine and small town medicine.\nHaving the variety\nof doing surgery in a urban major medical center\nand then going to a smaller town setting is exciting.\nI definitely feel different than first year.\nKind of been growing\nto be a little more comfortable in your\nnew skin as a doctor.\nThis was actually my second to last interview out of like,\nI don't know, 25 I think, and I almost canceled it.\nI almost said forget it, you know,\nI've been into enough places, but I came here anyway.\nI was like, just give it a shot.\nAnd a lot of the wellbeing aspect\nof things was really easily visible.\nYou could look at the residents and look at the faculty\nand see that everyone genuinely enjoyed their time here\nand that was really important to me.\nThe faculty are really kind and supportive,\nbut, you know, challenge you and kind of a fun way.\nI like family medicine\nbecause you get to do a little bit of everything.\nFamily is pretty important to me.\nI have two kids and a third on the way,\nand I could tell early on\nthat this is a family friendly program.\n\nThe Sutter Health Family Medicine residency program has\ndeveloped four unique program tracks\nthat offer residents the opportunity\nto practice in an environment that aligns\nwith their interests in each of these tracks.\nResidents will spend their first year at Sutter Medical\nCenter, Sacramento, where they will practice in a large\nmultidisciplinary hospital in the heart of the capital city.\nResidents who choose the Sacramento Track will continue\nserving the same diverse urban population in their\nsecond and third years of training.\nThe Davis Track is designed\nfor residents interested in working at a\nsmall community hospital.\nResidents spend the majority of their time at Sutter Davis,\nbut will also have the opportunity to train in Sacramento\nfor disciplines not offered at Davis.\nFor residents interested in working in a rural environment,\nwe offer the Amador rural training track\nand the coast rural training track In these tracks,\nresidents will spend their second\nand third years working at Sutter Amador Hospital in the\ncity of Jackson, or at Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent\nCity near the Oregon border.\nI selected the rural Amador track\nbecause I wanted to practice medicine\nand train in an area that allowed me to live\namongst the community I'd like to serve during my career.\nI love the idea of being part of the community.\nThat's why I chose Amador.\nIt's nice to have residents out here\nand kind of doing the same thing\nthat I did when I was a resident.\nThe clinic has been this incredible space where not only\nlearning can be comfortable at work, can be comfortable.\nResidents absolutely love their patients\nand the patients love their residents,\nand it turns out to be this beautiful small town feel.\nFor me, I feel like the first year being in the,\nthe large mothership of downtown has been good.\nAnd then being juxtaposed\nwith here at Sutter Davis Hospital,\nwhere it's a smaller community hospital,\nbut you still get the same medicine\nthat you do in Sacramento.\nIt's an urban medical center,\nand the residents rotate with us down here, uh,\nfor their surgery rotation.\nSacramento kind of had that urban feel,\nhad a diverse group of patients.\nThere's a little bit more, um, opportunities here\nto pursue HIV medicine addiction medicine, so\nthat's why I chose this area.\n\nOur curriculum is both broad.\nIt covers everything that family medicine should be\ncovering, but also we have incredible flexibility\nin terms of electives.\nThe sky's the limit, essentially like you wanna do it, you,\nyou just have to talk to the faculty\nand we'll find a way to make it do it.\nAnd that's, I think, the spirit of family medicine.\nYou can do anything.\nResidency is hard, but we make it as nurturing\nand welcoming as possible.\nWe have retreats, support groups, team building.\nWe've worked at community gardens, floated down the river,\nvolunteered at food banks.\nAll these things are done to maintain the overall wellbeing\nof our residents for the time that we have them.\nWe like to spend time together\nand we're able to learn a lot\nof medicine while still keeping each other afloat In\nterms of wellness,\nI think with any kind of growth,\nit's initially uncomfortable,\nbut then being uncomfortable means you're growing,\nbut growing in a safe space with people who are always there\nto help you is a really good feeling.\nCider Health kind of checked all the boxes I wanted to,\nin a residency, I wanted an unopposed program\nwhere I wasn't competing with other specialties.\nI wanted to practice full scope medicine,\nwhich I had been able to,\nand I wanted to make sure I was at a residency\nwhere I had felt like I would have good relationships\nwith both my colleagues and the faculty, which I have\nTheir excitement for.\nMedicine is contagious\nand it's invigorating to spend time with these people\nbecause it makes you better.\nEvery time I've worked with someone\nor taught them something, it, it, uh,\ngets me more excited about continuing to, you know,\ndo this for the rest of my life.\nThe strength of our program is we make really great solid\nfamily physicians who go out in the\ncommunity and do what they do.\nThey come in afraid and new\nand I call them the baby doctors\nand suddenly over three years they grow into these\nincredible physicians\nand it's so, there's so much pride in watching that\nand it's just an honor to be a part of that journey.\nI love family medicine. Um, I felt like it was something\nthat I decided relatively late in my medical school,\nschool career, but residency has really just only solidified\nthat seeing it here in this residency especially,\nlike it's everything that I thought I wanted out of medicine\nas a med student."} ```