Inland Southern California is no stranger to health disparities, but a bold new residency curriculum is turning geographic challenges into learning opportunities. Led by Dr. Kendrick Davis at the UCR School of Medicine, this program integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with quality improvement (QI), cultural psychiatry, and psychometrics to reshape how psychiatry residents understand, assess, and intervene in the real-world health needs of their communities.

This isn't just a research project—it’s a reimagined residency experience, grounded in data, equity, and place-based medicine.

Why GIS in a Residency Curriculum?

GIS—technology used to visualize, analyze, and interpret spatial data—might seem like an unlikely companion to medical training. But when residents are asked to address complex problems like poverty, access to care, and chronic health outcomes, maps become more than visual tools—they become blueprints for action.

Dr. Davis’ curriculum makes GIS a foundational pillar of residency training, helping residents:

  • Visualize and identify regional health disparities.
  • Map health resources and service gaps.
  • Design geographically targeted interventions.
  • Track and evaluate outcomes at the community level.

This is not just about learning a tool—it’s about cultivating a mindset of place-based, equity-informed care.

title slide with zoom photo of kendrick

"The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see."

John Tukey

A Curriculum Built for Impact: PGY1–PGY4

The GIS-integrated curriculum unfolds across the full four years of psychiatric residency, with increasing depth and autonomy.

PGY1–PGY2: Inquiry and Foundation

  • Residents identify health needs and populations using GIS-based needs assessments.
  • They explore topics like resource proximity, service access, and environmental health threats (e.g., air quality in underserved areas).
  • Projects are aligned with real community concerns—such as mental health resource deserts in the Inland Empire.

PGY3: Data, Storytelling, and Presentation

  • Residents deepen their research with GIS dashboards or qualitative story maps.
  • They present findings at Journal Club and departmental conferences, receiving feedback from peers and faculty.

PGY4: Implementation and Scholarship

  • Focus shifts to scholarly production—manuscripts, grant applications, and potential community interventions.
  • Residents have the chance to submit innovations to a "Baby Shark Tank"-style initiative called Innovar.

A Chief Resident for Research and Wellness supports this entire arc, acting as a bridge between learners, leadership, and research opportunities.

GIS in Action: Mapping Disparities to Drive Change

Residents work with real data to identify and act on pressing disparities in their catchment area. Some key examples include:

  • Mapping mental health service access: Identifying geographic “voids” in psychiatric facilities across vast underserved regions.
  • Visualizing deprivation: Using composite indices to map where socioeconomic challenges are most concentrated.
  • Cultural psychiatry: Grounding care in the historical and cultural context of local Native American communities (e.g., Cahuilla and Serrano tribes).
  • Monitoring outcomes: Using deprivation scores and GIS layers to assess impact post-intervention.

"Visualization gives you answers to questions you didn’t know you had."

Ben Schneiderman

Three Pillars of the Program

This innovative residency model is anchored in three intersecting domains:

  1. GIS & Quality Improvement
    Residents learn to use mapping as a tool to drive community-based interventions.
  2. Cultural Psychiatry
    Understanding the lived experience, historical context, and systemic inequities affecting patients—essential in a region with deep Indigenous roots and racial/ethnic diversity.
  3. Psychiatric Psychometrics
    Applying rigorous measurement tools to evaluate mental health, often revising outdated instruments for better cultural and statistical validity.

Empowering Residents as Scholars and Leaders

What makes this curriculum especially impactful is that it not only trains competent clinicians—it builds scholars and innovators. Whether writing grants, publishing studies, or designing interventions, residents are actively shaping the future of equitable care.

Moreover, partnerships with ESRI, community clinics, and research mentors provide a strong ecosystem for learning and growth.

Final Takeaways

GIS isn't just a research tool—it’s a residency training strategy for cultivating spatial awareness, equity-driven problem-solving, and actionable scholarship.

Maps make inequities visible—and when residents learn to read and respond to those maps, they become more capable clinicians and community advocates.

This model is generalizable to other specialties and geographies—and may be a template for the future of medical education.