Elizabeth Cureton, MD

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Education & Training

Undergraduate: Brown University

Medical School: Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel)

General Surgery Residency: UCSF-East Bay

Fellowship: Breast Surgical Oncology, University of California San Francisco

Employment

2012-Present: Breast and General Surgeon, Kaiser Permanente Oakland

What was your favorite thing about UCSF East Bay?

The operative/procedural experience from early on, and the talented, diverse, resilient, thoughtful and hardworking residents (both those I trained with and those I continue to work with now that I work here as an attending).

What about UCSF East Bay most helps you in your career now?

The trauma and acute care surgery experience at Highland was a formative experience providing a foundation in technical skills, critical care and evidenced based medicine, creative problem solving in challenging situations, patient and team management.

What would you like to share with applicants about your experiences at East Bay?

There is quite a diversity of experiences here, exposing you to experts in general surgery and every subspecialty. If you are ready to jump in, help, work, think, learn, teach, go the extra mile for your patients and be a team player, you will fit in well with our surgical resident “family.”

Do you have a favorite memory from UCSF-East Bay?

I will never forget my first hour of residency as an intern. Pre-rounding in the Highland ICU, there was a commotion as Dr Victorino and resident Jay Pal (now a cardiac surgeon) were wheeling a patient to the operating room after they suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. Jane Woo, my co-intern and I jumped in to help, with cardiac massage, running to get internal paddles and blood as the more senior surgeons and ICU nurses did everything they could to save him. Despite these valiant efforts, he died. I felt profound sadness for the patient and his family. And, as I looked at the crushed expressions on these skilled, humble heroes around me, I also knew somehow I was in the right place. After this, these and many other attendings and residents I would worked with were invaluable as they taught me, critiqued me, pushed me to always do better, inspired me and supported me through the difficult journey of residency.