building hawaii's physician workforce

It is the vital final step to becoming a practicing physician — the post-medical school training program for medical students known as residency.

For more than four decades, the nonprofit Hawaii Residency Programs (HRP) has provided aspiring doctors with the essential employment, administration, and support to complete their medical training here in Hawaii.

“We serve as the employer and administrator for Hawaii’s resident physicians while they’re in training,” explains Natalie Talamoa, executive director of HRP. “It’s a unique model. Most states have a single university hospital that runs residency programs, but here, training happens across multiple hospitals and communities. HRP was created to bring efficiency, coordination, and shared investment to that system.”

^{Island medical students gain invaluable experience with the help of Hawaii Residency Programs. Photo courtesy} 

Prior to HRP’s founding in 1982, graduate medical education in Hawaii had a loose-knit system with hospitals and programs. It lacked the necessary policymaking and governing authority. HRP fundamentally changed that, providing coordination and increased success among all partners — hospitals and the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).

“It’s hard to find a doctor in this community, in primary care in particular, who didn’t go to medical school here or train here,” shares Kenric M. Murayama, M.D., F.A.C.S., HMSA executive vice president, chief health officer, and president of Integrated Services, Inc. “A large majority of the doctors in this community in primary care — internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics — have some affiliation with the medical school. And if they trained here, they worked for Hawaii Residency Programs.”

The overwhelming need for medical doctors in the Islands is well documented. According to the 2025 University of Hawaii report to the state Legislature, Hawaii needs 768 full-time doctors to meet patient demand. That’s up from 757 doctors in 2024.

“We know that young people tend to practice where they train,” adds Dr. Murayama. “If we want local access to high-quality care, we need to make sure that training happens here at home. Without programs like HRP, more specialized care would have to move to the Mainland, which means higher costs, longer travel, and more hardship for families.”

Beyond its role in facilitating the training of doctors, HRP also helps fortify a long-term physician pipeline. Each fall, the organization partners with Hawaii Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Hawaii Young Healthcare Professionals to host the Physician Career Pathways event that connects residents and fellows with health care organizations across the state.

^{Hawaii Residency Programs staff at its annual Physician Career Pathway Event at the Neal S. Blaisdell Galleria.}

“Partnership is essential, and HRP is an essential partner,” says Crystal Costa, program specialist for JABSOM graduate medical education. “They play a huge role in keeping our training programs strong and helping our graduates find meaningful careers in Hawai'i.”

Through collaboration and commitment, Hawaii Residency Programs is helping build a more coordinated, equitable, and resilient health care workforce — one that ensures Hawai'i’s future physicians can train, live, and serve right here at home.

For an inside look at the program, check out this video:

For more on the work by Hawaii Residency Programs, check out hawaii residency programs: journey through the eyes of a resident physician. 

^WI26F