Academics
Since 1934, Kern Medical has been training residents and
health care professionals in our community.
Greetings from the Infectious Disease Program Director
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Kern Medical Fellowship
in Infectious Disease. This exciting new program offers a dynamic and
comprehensive training experience based at Kern Medical—a 222-bed
acute care teaching hospital located in Bakersfield, California, approximately
120 miles north of Los Angeles.
Kern Medical is proud to support a wide range of ACGME-accredited training programs, including six residency programs (Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Transitional Year) and four fellowship programs (Addiction Medicine, Addiction Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Infectious Disease). Additionally, we offer a Simulation Lab Fellowship, enriching hands-on learning across specialties.
Our Infectious Disease Fellowship has been thoughtfully designed to equip each graduate with the clinical acumen and experience needed to expertly manage the diverse spectrum of infectious diseases. Fellows benefit from a strong academic affiliation with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, allowing for valuable rotation opportunities at esteemed institutions such as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
At Kern Medical, your core training will include a mix of inpatient consultations and outpatient infectious disease clinics. You will develop expertise in diagnosing and treating a broad array of infections—bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic—including Coccidioidomycosis, HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and more. Training also encompasses essential topics such as transplant-related infections, epidemiology, microbiology, infection prevention, and public health, delivered through our participating sites.
One of the unique highlights of our program is our close collaboration with the Valley Fever Institute, a nationally recognized center dedicated to advancing care, research, and awareness of Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever). As a fellow, you’ll engage in leading-edge clinical work and research, encountering some of the most distinctive and challenging cases in the field.
Our faculty are dedicated clinician-educators, each board-certified in Infectious Disease and holding academic appointments at UCLA. They bring a wealth of experience in teaching, publishing, clinical research, and national professional involvement—creating an environment that fosters both academic excellence and professional growth. Fellows are encouraged and supported to participate in scholarly work, with opportunities to present at local, regional, and international meetings.
With a rich combination of diverse training environments, a focus on mentorship, and robust clinical and scholarly opportunities, the Kern Medical Infectious Disease Fellowship offers an exceptional foundation for your future career. We invite you to join us in shaping the next generation of infectious disease specialists.
Rasha Kuran MD
Program Director, Infectious Disease Fellowship