Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP, is the Director of Medical Education for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, overseeing continuing medical education, graduate medical education, undergraduate medical education, and pathway programs. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine.
Ted has authored over 20 medical textbooks, edited 10 additional textbooks, and has written over 900 textbook chapters as well as articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. Ted has been involved in medical education for over two decades, serving as Founding Program Director at the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano family medicine residency program for 10 years and the Program Director at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills residency program for 7 years. Ted is Editor-In-Chief of Elsevier’s Clinical Key Student, an international medical education platform. Ted is also the award-winning host of several podcasts.
Current role, Specialty/Department, Practice Location
- Director of Medical Education, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Physician Education and Development Regional Department
- Family Medicine Physician
- Department of Family and Community Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo
Academic Appointments
- Associate Clinical Professor
- Department of Family and Community Medicine
- University of San Francisco, University of California Los Angeles, and University of California Davis Schools of Medicine
Education and Professional Summary
| Undergraduate: | University of Notre Dame, Bachelor of Arts with Honors |
| Medical Education: | University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine |
| Residency/Fellowship: | Family Medicine at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center |
| Board Certification: | American Board of Family Medicine |
| Other: | Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School Emerging Leaders Program through The Permanente Medical Group Leading Innovations in Health Care and Education course through the Harvard-Macy Foundation Disruptive Strategy program at Harvard Business School Design Thinking course through the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia |
Honors and Awards
| November 2021 | The President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House, AmeriCorps, and the Points of Light Foundation for 276 volunteer hours in developing an open-source oxygen concentrator during the COVID pandemic for use in under-resourced clinical environments. |
| April 2021 | Cecil Cutting Award for Innovation and Leadership. Recognizes the achievements of physicians who have distinguished themselves as leaders and innovators in TPMG and is one of the highest honors TPMG bestows. |
| January 2017 | Physician of the Year - Napa and Solano County Medical Society |
| October 2008 | Physician Exceptional Contribution Award - Southern California Permanente Medical Group |
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
- Board member, The Permanente Federation National Clinical Education Funding Committee
- Member, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit-Funded Health Profession Education Subcommittee
- Chair, Institutional Graduate Medical Education Committee, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Delegate to the California Medical Association Very Large Group Practice Forum
- Diplomate, American Board of Family Medicine
- Member, Alliance of Academic Medical Centers Programming Committee
- Member, California Medical Association
- Member, Napa-Solano County Medical Society
Areas of Interest
- Clinical teaching
- Entrepreneurship
- Leadership and professional development
Publications
Crush Step 1, Third Edition
O’Connell T, Pedigo R, Blair T. Philadelphia, May 2023, Elsevier.
USMLE Step 1 Secrets, Fifth Edition
O’Connell T, Pedigo R. Philadelphia, June 2022, Elsevier.
USMLE Step 3 Secrets, Second Edition
O’Connell T, Pedigo R, Blair T. Philadelphia, May 2022, Elsevier.
USMLE Step 2 Secrets, Sixth Edition
O’Connell TX. Philadelphia, November 2021, Elsevier.
Read This Before Medical School: How to Study Smarter and Live Better While Excelling in Class and on your USMLE or COMLEX Board Exams
DiMarco C, Rodden G, O’Connell TX. Illinois, October 2019, Indies United.
Pfenninger & Fowler’s Procedures for Primary Care, Fourth Edition
O’Connell TX. Section Editor. Fowler GC. Philadelphia, April 2019, Mosby.
Presentations
Principled Negotiation
O’Connell T. Workshop for the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Medicine Fellowship Program. 2025 February 14. Delivered virtually.
VSLO Student Webinar: Away Rotations 2024-25
O’Connell T, Hyde R, Macerollo A. Association of American Medical Colleges. 2024 January 25. Delivered virtually.
Developing a Physician Workforce
Delivered to the American Medical Association. 2023 April 21: Oakland, California.
Creating an Equitable Learning Environment: Tools and Strategies for Inclusive Spaces
Stecker T, O’Connell T, Symkowick M, et al. Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers National Initiative VIII. 2023 March 24: Nashville, Tennessee.
Assessing the Learner in Difficulty
Holder K, O’Connell T. 4th Annual Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Research Week Faculty Development Program. 2022 May 19: Vallejo, California.
Conflict Resolution and Negotiating Skills
O’Connell T, Wu H, Pedigo R. Elsevier Global Challenge 2021. 2022 April 30: London, England.
Personality Types and Their Influence in the Medical Environment
O’Connell T, Wu H, Pedigo R. Elsevier Global Challenge 2021. 2022 April 30: London, England.
Creating an Equitable Learning Environment: Tools and Strategies for Inclusive Spaces
Stecker T, O’Connell T, Symkowick M. Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers National Initiative VIII. 2022 March 26: New Orleans, Louisiana.
Principled Negotiation in Career Planning
O’Connell T. Workshop for the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Medicine Fellowship Program. 2022 March 4: Vallejo, California.
2021 in Review: Lessons Learned from the Disruptions of COVID-19, Hurricane Ida, Wildfires, and Social Injustice
Frisch K, Monks S, O’Connell T. Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers. Lessons Learned from Unexpected Disruptions Series Webinar. 2022 February 3. Delivered virtually.