--- title: "Sutter Coast Hospital Family Medicine Rural Training Track" description: "The Family Medicine Rural Training Track at Sutter Coast Hospital prepares compassionate, skilled physicians to deliver high-quality care in rural communities, addressing the unique challenges and needs of these areas." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast" --- 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. Coast Rural Training Track # Rural Training Track Sutter Health Family Medicine Residency - Coast **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") Family Medicine Rural Training Track on America’s Wild Rivers Coast. The Sutter Coast Hospital Family Medicine Rural Training Track offers a dynamic, community-focused residency designed to prepare physicians for the unique rewards and challenges of rural healthcare. Residents begin their first year at a busy urban medical center in Sacramento, where they build a strong clinical foundation working with patient populations across a wide range of specialties. In their second and third years, residents transition to Crescent City on California’s scenic North Coast, serving a rural, limited access community. Training takes place at Sutter Coast’s 49-bed hospital and its Community Clinic, where residents gain comprehensive experience in inpatient medicine, emergency care, obstetrics, pediatrics, behavioral health, and outpatient family medicine. Personalized electives allow residents to tailor their training to their career goals. Guided by board-certified physicians, residents develop expertise in rural primary care and population health, focusing on continuity of care, chronic disease management, and preventive medicine. They learn to track patient health over time and deliver compassionate care in resource-limited settings, building lasting relationships within the community. This residency prepares physicians not only to excel clinically but to become trusted leaders in rural healthcare—ready to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and communities that need it most. ## Message from the Track Director ![May Hong, M.D.](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/Hero-Images/Hong-May.png "May Hong, M.D.") My journey in medicine has been shaped by a deep belief in the power of community and a commitment to inclusion and belonging in healthcare. These values have guided me toward the development and launch of the Sutter Coast Family Medicine Rural Track Program—a program designed not only to train skilled clinicians but to nurture leaders who are prepared to meet the unique challenges of rural medicine with compassion, resilience, and innovation. The vision for this program began long before it was formalized. Since before 2019, Sutter has worked to bring this idea to life. In 2022, Sutter Coast Hospital was honored to receive a HRSA grant, allowing the vision to move forward into implementation. Now, we are recruiting our inaugural class of residents to begin training in June 2026—a milestone that represents years of planning, advocacy, and community partnership. Our program is built around the philosophy that rural communities deserve physicians who are not only clinically excellent but also deeply invested in the places and people they serve. We train residents to become collaborative, culturally responsive leaders who will captain systems of care that are inclusive, patient-centered, and sustainable. The curriculum reflects this commitment. Residents spend their first 13 months in Sacramento, gaining broad foundational experience and engaging in continuity clinic. Then, for the remaining 23 months, they transition to Crescent City, where they truly become a part of the community—caring for their own patient panels at the Sutter Coast Community Clinic and rotating through a wide range of specialties at Sutter Coast Hospital. From inpatient and emergency medicine to obstetrics and outpatient electives, our curriculum blends traditional rotations with longitudinal learning experiences tailored to the needs of our rural community. Sutter Coast Hospital, the only hospital in Del Norte County, serves a vast 45-square-mile area and a population of about 43,000, including communities across the border in southern coastal Oregon. Training here is not only clinically rigorous—it’s profoundly meaningful. Residents encounter a wide range of medical conditions, social determinants, and system challenges, all while being deeply embedded in a community that values their presence. Personally, I believe that joy and sustainability in medical practice are not luxuries; they are necessities for a long and fulfilling career. That’s why our program also emphasizes physician well-being and professional development, creating a supportive environment where residents can grow not only as doctors, but as whole people. I’m proud of what we’ve built. The Sutter Coast Family Medicine Rural Track is more than a training program—it’s a movement toward a more just, resilient, and community-rooted model of care. I look forward to welcoming the first class of residents and to watching them thrive in a place where their impact will be both immediate and lasting. Best Regards, **May Hong, M.D.** ## To Apply, Visit ERAS for Residency Application Use NRMP Code: FamilyMed Coast: 1135120C5 [Learn More](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/apply) [Apply Now](https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/apply-residencies-eras-system) Program Highlights **Program Curriculum** ![sch-front-or-sign](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/GME/Residency/Sutter-Health-Family-Medicine-Residency/sch-front-or-sign.jpg) The Rural Track Family Medicine Residency Program has a comprehensive, community-focused curriculum designed to prepare physicians for full-spectrum practice in rural areas. Spanning three years, residents engage in intensive clinical training combined with immersive rural experiences, developing the skills needed to provide high-quality, compassionate care throughout all stages of life. The curriculum begins with foundational rotations in inpatient medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, and behavioral health, establishing a broad clinical base. As the program progresses, residents shift focus to predominantly rural environments where they refine procedural skills, cultivate leadership, and build long-term patient relationships. Dedicated training time includes rural primary care, emergency medicine, community engagement, and electives aligned with individual career goals. Longitudinal experiences in population health, telemedicine, and practice management prepare residents to effectively navigate the unique challenges of rural healthcare delivery. Mentorship from rural-based faculty ensures personalized guidance and professional growth. Hands-on procedural training, combined with deep integration into the local community, fosters confidence and a strong commitment to rural medicine. Graduates of the Rural Track emerge as capable, compassionate family physicians ready to lead and serve in rural America, equipped with the knowledge and experience to meet the diverse healthcare needs of their communities. ![sutter-coast-community-clinic](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/Hero-Images/sutter-coast-community-clinic.jpg) ### Living in Crescent City Crescent City, California is a serene coastal town nestled among towering redwoods and rugged Pacific shores, known for its natural beauty, historic lighthouse, and gateway to the majestic Redwood National and State Parks. [Get to Know the Area](https://visitdelnortecounty.com/chamber-of-commerce/) ### Contact Us **Program Director** Ryan Spielvogel, MD, MS **Track Director** May Hong, M.D. **Program Supervisor** Danielle Preston If you would like to correspond with our residents, please send your request to: [sutterfmrp@sutterhealth.org](mailto:sutterfmrp@sutterhealth.org) [Get in Touch](mailto:Danielle.Preston@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":"Sutter Coast Hospital Family Medicine Rural Training Track","description":"The Family Medicine Rural Training Track at Sutter Coast Hospital prepares compassionate, skilled physicians to deliver high-quality care in rural communities, addressing the unique challenges and needs of these areas.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/residencies/family-medicine/coast#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":"Coast Rural Training Track"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Family Medicine Residency Coast Rural Track: Training in Crescent City","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/1f705218-304b-4258-8bec-2964f4b47906/de8fc987-b516-4396-a6dd-b3b4fdf19dff/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2025-10-23T16:50:27.581Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6383423604112","description":"The Coast Rural Track blends urban and rural family medicine training—starting in Sacramento and finishing in Crescent City—to prepare compassionate physicians to lead in limited access communities. Make a difference where it matters.","duration":"PT3M33S","transcript":"CARLOS FIGUREROA: Driving up the 101 and entering Crescent City,\nI was like, wow, yeah, this feels special.\nSHALAKA POLLAKULATH: There's a good work-life balance here.\nAnd that was the main thing that was missing\nfrom my previous employment.\nLEO JIMENEZ: I got here as a traveler,\nand then just started being part of the community.\nCARROLL CHRISTIE: When I came here about a decade ago,\nI thought I would stay here a couple of years.\nJOHN KIRK: I kind of fell in love with the place.\nELLIE POPADIC: I always say, once we can get somebody here,\nwe stand a strong chance of keeping them.\nGABBY CASTER: This year was my 25th anniversary.\nThe sunsets are magnificent.\nCARROLL CHRISTIE: It's not often you\nget to work and live in a place that most people come\nto vacation in.\nELLIE POPADIC: We have many people\nthat have come on travel or assignment.\nAnd guess what.\nNow they've been employees of Sutter Coast for 20.\nIt's a hidden jewel.\nJOHN KIRK: I was like, well, I want to buy a house.\nHouses on coasts in California are ridiculous.\nI got this for the price of a condo.\n\nJOCELYN TALBOT: This is real rural medicine.\nYou might have one patient who crashes their motorcycle\ninto an elk, and that's room 1.\nAnd then, the next patient you see\nhas diabetes, and the next one pneumonia.\nYou can never really predict what's going to happen out here.\nAnd the stories are incredible.\nJOHN KIRK: We have a significant shortage of physicians,\nbut especially primary care.\nI'm the only obstetrician in the entire county.\nCARROLL CHRISTIE: We are hungry for physicians coming here.\nPeople's offices are overrun because there's not\nenough providers to see the patients here.\nELLIE POPADIC: When the opportunity presented itself\nto us that we could have residents here at Sutter Coast,\nit meant that we were going to be able to improve access\nto care for our community.\nRYAN SPIELVOGEL: In order to be able to take\ncare of that rural population, residents\nreally need to see a lot of the higher acuity things\nthat you would see at this trauma center in Sacramento.\nAnd then, starting in their second year,\nthey'll go up to Crescent City.\nCARLOS FIGUREROA: So I've been up in Crescent City.\nI've mostly been rotating outpatient.\nThe availability of the specialists and how open\nthey are to teach is awesome.\nYou get to try things.\nThey're there to walk you through it if you need it.\nCARROLL CHRISTIE: You're going to be changing lives.\nIt sounds like such a small phrase,\nbut when you're actually changing somebody's life\nand that's affecting generations down, I mean,\nthat's something to be proud of.\nAnd you get to participate in that, in a rural community.\nJOHN KIRK: This is a place where the hospital, the staff,\nthe facility, it all works.\nAnd the idea of being able to teach residents,\nthat's fantastic.\nAnybody who comes up here, you're going to grow.\nJOCELYN TALBOT: Every one of our doctors\nwho comes to this community is filling an absolutely essential\nrole.\nThe residents are uniquely and specially equipped\nbecause they get to see this incredibly broad scope, anything\nthat walks through the door.\nSHALAKA POLLAKULATH: What I was and what I am right now,\nit's completely different.\nThe team is what keeps me here.\nCARLOS FIGUREROA: Nature can be medicine.\nGetting out of clinic and then do a new hike\nevery day has been awesome.\nCARROLL CHRISTIE: There's something magical about taking\na hike amongst 3,000-year-old trees,\nwhere you understand how small you are compared to that.\nGABBY CASTER: To see the water move is good enough\nfor you to heal and come back to provide care\nfor those who need it.\nI would love to see more doctors coming here to join us\nin our wonderful adventure.\n[GENTLE MUSIC]"} ```