Jim Slotnick Fellowship in Medicineat Saban Community Clinic

 

Reflections from Slotnick Fellows

Through the Jim Slotnick Fellowship in Medicine, medical students from UCLA are exposed to the wonders of providing healthcare in a community clinic setting at Saban Community Clinic, a medical home for the underserved, Whether seeing high risk teenagers living on the streets, homeless adults, or the working poor, these Slotnick Fellows learn from their mentors about providing healthcare in a compassionate, empathetic and humanistic way.

Though these Fellows never had the pleasure of meeting Jim Slotnick, through their Fellowship experience, they learned what was most important to him. In this way, his legacy continues on.

Below are their reflections on the Fellowship experience and its impact on their lives.

Monica Boggs, MD, MPP

Resident, Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Fellow, 2012

I have now read Jim’s memoir, A Short Life, three times. The first time was the summer I was a Slotnick Fellow. I distinctly remember how Jim felt leaving numerous doctor visits. He felt unattended to, as if the doctors weren’t even listening to him. I was so struck, perhaps because I too have felt the same. As I began my summer…

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Seth Cardall, MD

Computed Tomography Section Head Utah Radiology Associates
Fellow, 2001

The Jim Slotnick Fellowship at the LA Free Clinic was a wonderful experience for me. Not only was it my first real exposure to clinical medicine and hands on experience, but, more importantly, it allowed me to interact with diverse people from many backgrounds and gain insight into socioeconomic issues affecting access to…

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Marie Crandall, MD, MPH, FACS

Professor of Surgery, Director of Research - Department of Surgery, Associate Program Director - General Surgery Residency, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville , Florida
Fellow, 1994

It was 1994 and I was in my second year of medical school when I first learned of the Jim Slotnick Fellowship. His story was devastating; an intelligent, hard-working, and compassionate young man…

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Joshua Elder, MD, MPH, MHS

Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Davis Health System
Fellow, 2008

"After a week of school, the Free Clinic was a breath of fresh air. I would leave there with a feeling of, Yeah, this is what I want to do with my life! Give some medical attention to the folks who can’t afford private doctors or medical insurance.
A Short Life, by Jim…

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Bo Espinosa Setchko, MD, MPP

Resident, Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Fellow, 2011

The Slotnick Fellowship continues to represent a highlight of my medical education thus far. As someone dedicated to social justice and to serving vulnerable populations in medicine, I couldn’t have asked for a more fitting opportunity following my first year of medical school. I had no doubt that my experiences at The Saban Free…

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Roberto Gonzalez Huerta

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2021
Fellow, 2017

Participating in the Jim Slotnick Fellowship this past summer at Saban Community Clinic has been the highlight of my medical school experience. I learned a significant amount about clinical practice during the Fellowship, much more than I would ever get at this stage in my training. I had amazing clinicians guiding me as well as…

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Rosibel Hernandez, MD, MPH

OB/GYN Resident, Boston Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Fellow, 2013

My time as a Jim Slotnick Fellow was an invaluable experience, deepening my commitment to underserved communities. Working along side passionate and caring individuals at the Saban Community Clinic fueled my desire to serve as a physician in communities in need. As a medical student you learn about the…

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Candace Jones, MD, MPH

Senior Physician, 
Kaiser Permanente Department of Pediatrics Sacramento, California
Fellow, 2003

My time as a Slotnick Fellow was one of the highlights of my medical school experience. It solidified my interest in becoming a primary care physician and for that I am very grateful. I especially enjoyed the individual attention that I received from the volunteers, staff and attending physicians. I…

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Luke Karaelias, MD

Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, French Hospital Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, San Louis Obispo, California
Fellow, 2002

My first day at what was then known as the LA Free Clinic, Laurie Goodman handed me a thick binding of printed pages, a personal reproduction of Jim Slotnick’s memoirs, A Short Life. It was not short on pages, nor was it short on…

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Daniel Karlin, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Palliative Care, University of California Los Angeles
Fellow, 2008

Every year, thousands of fledgling physicians fresh out of medical school take part in the Hippocratic Oath. So much of the Oath has filtered into our public consciousness: doctors are obliged to “first do no harm”, to hold sacred the confidence and trust that patients place in them, and to show…

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Mikaela Kelly

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2020
Fellow, 2016

My experience working at Saban Community Clinic provided me with more than I could have ever anticipated. Initially, I was drawn to this opportunity because I am passionate about working within and advocating for underserved communities. Additionally, as a first year medical student at UCLA, we do not have a great deal of…

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Scott Lee, MD

Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Adventist Orthopedic Health Network, Los Angeles, California
Fellow, 2007

The Jim Slotnick Fellowship in Medicine is truly an amazing experience that exposes medical students to the difficulties of delivering quality healthcare to the underserved populations of Los Angeles. However, the educational experience delves much deeper than clinical medicine. In order to…

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Elizabeth (Whaley) McClure, MD

Chief, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Associate Medical Director of Specialty & Service Lines,

Sutter Medical Group, Sacramento, California
Fellow, 1987

Being a Jim Slotnick Fellow was truly life changing. It was a gift to work with clinicians who shared the same passion in caring for their patients and who were very free 
in sharing that passion with medical students. Working at the LA…

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Jennifer A. Miller, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician and Co-Owner, East Bay Pediatrics, Oakland, California
Fellow, 1998

I grew up around medicine, so it wasn’t atypical for me to be in a hospital, surrounded by physicians. Because of my upbringing, medicine was a natural choice. The Jim Slotnick Fellowship was a natural choice as well. As a second year medical student, I hadn’t had much experience taking care of patients. This…

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Matthew R. Morrell, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Lung Transplant Fellowship and the Pulmonary Stepdown Unit, 
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Fellow, 2000

The summer of 2000 was an eventful one for me. I had just completed my first year of medical school, was getting married and was chosen as a Jim Slotnick Fellow. My first day at The Los Angeles Free Clinic was very…

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Jessica Osorio

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2021
Fellow, 2017

My summer as the Jim Slotnick Fellow at Saban Community Clinic was a dream come true. As a Fellow, I joined the medical team as a student doctor to care for patients. I have worked toward this moment for many years, and it was rewarding to contribute to patient care and learn from attending physicians. One of my most rewarding…

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Diana Partida

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2019
Fellow, 2016

From life experiences, I have seen the complex obstacles patients face in receiving health care, but being a Jim Slotnick Fellow at Saban Community Clinic this summer has allowed me to explore what my role as a physician will be in reducing these barriers. In clinic, I started translating the hours in the lecture hall and the…

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Maria A. Pielaet, MD

Medical Director
, Living Well Health Center, Redmond, Washington
Fellow, 1985

It was quite an honor when I was selected as the first Slotnick Fellow: I cannot believe it has been 30 years! Being awarded the Fellowship to work and train at The Los Angeles Free Clinic was so fantastic for me, because Free Clinics are so dear to my heart. Additionally, I learned so much while working at the clinic!…

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Ray Quon, MD

Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine, Panorama City, California
Fellow, 2005

The opportunity to work in the L.A. Free Clinic's vibrant clinical settings and to care for underserved populations was a life-defining experience during my medical education.   I have continued to apply the medical knowledge and strategies that I gained to practice medicine as a Family Medicine physician in an…

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Lisa Rood, MD

Pediatrician
, John Muir Medical Group, Brentwood, California
Fellow, 1999

I feel extremely privileged to have participated in the Jim Slotnick Fellowship at The Los Angeles Free Clinic. At the time, it was the most extensive exposure to clinical medicine that I had ever experienced. It was exciting and educational and had a profound impact on me. I still vividly remember the wonderful…

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Gilberto Ruiz, MD

Diplomat of the American College of Emergency Medicine, Staff Physician, Doctors Medical Services, Las Vegas, Nevada
Fellow, 1990

Coming from a Spanish speaking household in San Fernando, California, I had 
to be very blessed and lucky to walk the halls of the UCLA School of Medicine. Through the hard work that I learned from my parents, I took full advantage of the opportunities that lay in…

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Angel (Hamptonie) Schaffer, MD

Family Medicine, 
Kaiser Permanente, Gardena, California
Fellow, 1995

I am honored and grateful to have been awarded the Jim Slotnick Fellowship in 1995. The experience was invaluable. It afforded me the opportunity to obtain hands on experience with patient care. It taught me the importance of compassionate care when working with a diverse population. To this day, I refer uninsured patients to…

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Gregory B. Seymann, MD

Clinical Professor and Chief, 
Division of Hospital Medicine, UC San Diego, Department of Medicine
Fellow, 1992

In medicine, as in life, our growth is often influenced by a few powerful figures or experiences, which shape our perspective and impact our direction as we proceed down our path. Volunteering at the LA Free Clinic was that experience for me, and Dr. Eric Cohen was that figure.

As a…

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Amy Showen

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2018
Fellow, 2014

Just as medical school has introduced me to the science of medicine, the Slotnick Fellowship at Saban Community Clinic introduced me to the art. I was privileged to work with providers who are competent, compassionate, and committed to the Clinic’s mission. They are great teachers who patiently taught me not only about diseases…

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David H. Solberg, MD, FACOG

Obstetrics and Gynecology, 
Capital Women’s Care, Hagerstown, Maryland
Fellow, 1988

The Jim Slotnick Fellowship has been a formative milestone in my journey both in life and in the practice of medicine. My journey began at the age of five when, while watching my uncle, a plastic surgeon, perform a minor surgical procedure on a young child, I knew in my heart that the practice of medicine was my…

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Richard Sonner, MD

Attending Physician and Director of Pediatric Emergency Services, Torrance Memorial Medical Center,

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Fellow, 1986

Having children in middle school, high school and college makes me feel old, yet my memory of their early years is as fresh and vivid as if it were yesterday. And my children give me purpose and a…

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Carla Spades, MD, MPH

OB GYN Women’s Center, Los Angeles, California
Fellow, 2009

My experience as a Slotnick Fellow helped shape me into the physician I am today. The Fellowship allowed me to experience several areas of clinical medicine and introduced me to mentors and leaders in medicine in ways I could never have anticipated. I am currently a Resident Physician at Cedars-Sinai. As such, I have the privilege of…

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Ricky J. Thomas

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2018

Fellow, 2015

This past summer working at Saban Community Clinic through the Jim Slotnick Fellowship in Medicine has been nothing short of enlightening. Having just finished my first year of medical school and anxious to deploy my newly acquired medical knowledge, I found Saban both refreshing and the perfect place to learn. I was able to…

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Samuel Tseng, MD

Chief of Primary Care, Kaiser Permanente, San Ramon, California
Fellow, 1996

The Jim Slotnick Fellowship gave me a special opportunity to work at The Los Angeles Free Clinic. My time there provided me with valuable experience in seeing how healthcare can be delivered to an underserved patient population. It was heartwarming to see the volunteers, staff, and health providers coming together to…

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Camille Wedlow, MD

Family Medicine, 
Health Care Partners, Henderson, Nevada
Fellow, 1997

I participated in the Jim Slotnick Fellowship more than 15 years ago while in medical school as a second year medical student. The experience allowed me to see individuals who were not the typical patients seen through rotations at UCLA. Most
 of the patients were teenagers, some were homeless and the majority of patients had…

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