As Steven Kramer, MD continues his third-year of residency training at San Jose O'Connor Family Medicine Residency Program, (he is also currently serves as Chief Resident), he plays an active role in shaping the policy affecting family medicine through his leadership in the Academy.  A Hawaii native, Dr. Kramer received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, then returned to his native Hawaii to earn his medical degree from the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Dr. Kramer is passionate about family medicine, advocacy and accessible medical care.   In addition to his current role as the Vice President of External Affairs on the Resident Leaders of CAFP (R-CAFP) Committee, Dr. Kramer serves on the Quality Improvement and Physician Advisory Committee of Santa Clara Family Plan, affording him numerous opportunities to represent family medicine on multi-specialty committees. Dr. Kramer recently attended the AAFP Family Medicine Congressional Conference in Washington, DC, where he worked with CAFP Legislative Advocate Tom Riley to learn how to shape Academy policy and gain hands-on experience testifying before the legislature and speaking to legislators.

His clinical interests include electronic health records (EHR) systems analysis and diabetes management.  Having worked with the residency health center on such issues in the past, Dr. Kramer continues to work on diabetes management assessment and allocations systems through his involvement in the GO!Diabetes project sponsored by the Oklahoma and Georgia local state chapters. 

I chose family medicine because:  I love being able to take care of the entire family. No matter what patient comes through the door, I know we will be able to do something for them.

I am a member of AAFP and CAFP because: Both provide opportunities to grow as a family physician through conferences, publications and online resources.  As large organizations, the Academies also have the benefit of bringing members together and presenting our collective voice to others.

I think the most helpful member resources are: The online resources and the California Family Physician magazine as they provide a wonderful glimpse into what is happening around the state with family medicine.  I also appreciate attending the multiple conferences the CAFP organizes, including the Family Medicine Summit and CAFP's Annual Scientific Assembly.  Both were incredibly beneficial to my growth as a young family doctor.

What/who influenced you to choose family medicine?  I had the honor of working with a great family physician during my clinical training years that helped guide me to this amazing profession.

How do you spend your free time?  My free time is spent riding my bike or hiking on the weekends.

What is the biggest challenge facing health care today?  The lack of integration of care is one of the biggest challenges I see.  Information follows the patient as they transverse different health care settings, outpatient, inpatient, pharmacies, specialists, radiology and laboratories; however, it needs to be used and tracked more efficiently.  This problem will hopefully be addressed with improved and increased use of electronic health records.

How do you champion family medicine?  I champion for family medicine by encouraging medical students to get excited about what family physicians do.

What one sentence advice would you give a resident?  Residents should remember why they wanted to become physicians when they started medical school and think about the wonderful experience it is to be someone's doctor.

How do you define leadership?  Leadership is often pushing forward the collective agenda of the group. 

What is your favorite getaway?  Going home to Hawaii.

How do you define balance?   Balance is finding whatever you need to do in your off time so that you wake up every day excited to be a doctor.

What one issue do you think the Academy most urgently needs to address?  The Academy needs to continue to advocate for proper payment and reimbursement for what we do as family doctors.

What do you love about practicing family medicine?  I love the longitudinal relationship I develop with patients - it is one of the most special experiences in medicine and I think family medicine does this better than anybody. We are the specialists in relationships with patients.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  Ben and Jerry's half baked

What is the biggest opportunity or challenge you see in the family medicine specialty in the next five years?  With the influx of patients that will soon have medical insurance, American health care and family medicine will have to come up with a way to treat and see all of these patients in need of a primary care doctor.

If you weren't a medical student, what profession would you most like to try?  I would like to be a science teacher, probably because both of my parents were in education.