Elysia Engelage, MD
Primary Care Internist, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco (KPSF)
Associate Program Director, KP Northern California HIV Medicine Fellowship
Core Faculty, KPSF Internal Medicine Residency Program
San Francisco, CA
1. What is your current professional position?
I am a Primary Care Internist at Kaiser Permanente (KP), San Francisco (KPSF). I'm also Associate Program Director for our KP Northern California HIV Medicine Fellowship and Core Faculty with our KPSF Internal Medicine Residency Program. In addition to general internal medicine, my practice is focused on caring for patients living with HIV and those in the LGBTQ+ community.
2. Why did you choose internal medicine?
I chose internal medicine because this field best combined my desire to work with complex medical patients, develop lifelong relationships, and engage in medical education. I admired how the internal medicine physicians I rotated with in medical school approached medical care while not losing sight of their patients’ humanity. I also love working with our multidisciplinary teams to tackle challenges.
3. What trends are you seeing in your day-to-day practice (with patients, the health care system, or otherwise)?
I have definitely noticed an increase in desire for virtual care e-mails, video visits, and phone calls. This can be challenging as we're working with less information compared to an office visit. This trend has definitely increased my inbox volume and has also led to more patient engagement. Telehealth has also opened avenues to address the increase in depression and anxiety coinciding with the pandemic and sociopolitical events.
4. What do you want to accomplish professionally within the next five years?
I would like to continue to work on my skills as a medical educator. Working with fellows and residents has been incredibly satisfying, and I'm so fortunate to be a part of two fantastic training programs. It is a privilege to see our learners through their training and then welcome them as colleagues. They keep me on my toes and will be taking care of all of us soon!
5. Can you share a brief (and anonymous) patient encounter or professional situation that made you proud to be an internal medicine physician?
I am grateful for the experiences that have brought me to this moment in my career. Patients let us into their lives and share with us their biggest challenges. In my role as an educator, I have a unique opportunity to model compassion and respect for our learners. I am humbled to care for patients at all stages of their adult lives. Learning about my patients gives me perspective on their history and who they are as a whole person. I recently met with a long-term survivor with HIV who had lost several loved ones early in the AIDS epidemic. This patient shared why his health was particularly important to him now at this stage in life—he had found love again and wanted to be around to enjoy it to the fullest. I am incredibly proud to be an internal medicine physician and support my patients in living their best lives.