Internal Medicine at San Francisco

Our Faculty

Darrel Robbins, MD - Program Director

Darrel Robbins has spent most of his life in Northern California. He went to the University of California, Berkeley for his undergraduate training in Chemical Engineering, followed by medical school at St. Louis University. After residency training in this very program, he worked as a hospitalist at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco from 1989 until 1994, when he became a full time clinic physician. In addition to serving as a primary care physician, he has been an Assistant Program Director for this residency program, as well as Assistant Chief of Medicine for Quality and Service. His desire is to remain as versatile as possible in the care of sick people, and to contribute to the teaching of Internal Medicine. He enjoys playing with his two children, hang-gliding and working in his home machine shop.

Gene Lau , MD - Chief, Department of Medicine

I chose to pursue internal medicine because it was such a broad area and encompassed a wide range of information. During my clinical rotations in medical school, I experienced my first substantive interaction with patients. I discovered that I obtain true fulfillment from the dynamic relationship between doctor and patient. I became Assistant Chief of Quality in the Department of Medicine in 1999. In June 2006, I became Chief of Medicine.

When I am not navigating the complexities of the Department of Medicine and providing community benefit expertise, I enjoy spending time with my three daughters and my wife. I love to travel, and consider myself to be an avid cook. My children have been pretty daring about trying new foods!

Medical School: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Internship: St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, CA
Residency: Kaiser Foundation Hospital, San Francisco, CA
Residency: St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, CA

Jacqueline Poggi, MD - Chief, Hospital-Based Medicine

I have been with Kaiser Permanente San Francisco for over 10 years. I enjoy the variety of patients that I see in my practice. Kaiser San Francisco’s residency teaching program makes the work environment very stimulating. I also appreciate my colleagues and the collaborative nature of our work. Our integrated system makes it easy for the physicians in our hospital to communicate with primary care providers and specialists to ensure that our patients receive the best care possible.

When I’m not practicing medicine, I enjoy snowboarding, skiing, playing with my kids, travel, and going out to the many restaurants in San Francisco. I’m married with two young children and two cats at home; we spend time with the many members of our extended family who live in the Bay Area.

Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL
Internship and Residency: Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA

Michael Coppolino, MD - Assistant Program Director

Dr. Coppolino spent his formative years in Canada with undergraduate medical training at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Internal Medicine residency at the University of Western Ontario, and fellowship training in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto. He completed a Masters Degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto in 1996 and subsequently relocated to the United States. Dr. Coppolino joined The Permanente Medical Group in 1996 and is presently enjoying all aspects of the residency program in San Francisco, where he attends in the cardiovascular and general medical intensive care units. His teaching interests include evidenced-based medicine, research methodology, and he is still active in clinical research.

Clarissa Johnston, MD - Assistant Program Director

Dr. Johnston is originally from the Boston area but has lived in the Bay Area for 13 years. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Economics from Tufts University and her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She stayed at UCSF for her residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine as well as for her chief residency. Dr. Johnston joined The Permanente Medical Group in August 1999 and is one of the Hospital-Based Specialists at San Francisco.

Her areas of clinical interest include diabetes, evidence-based medicine, and medical education. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, running, modern dance, and raising orchids.

Jinwoo Kim, MD - Assistant Program Director

Dr. Kim is originally from the East Coast but has lived in Northern California since 1992, when he moved west to start his residency. He is a graduate of Amherst College and obtained his MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He did his residency at the University of California, Davis and worked there for two and one-half years after residency. He then relocated to the Bay Area and joined The Permanente Medical Group in 1997. He is one of the general internist Hospital-Based Specialists at San Francisco.

Dr. Kim's professional areas of interest include medical informatics, resident education and mentoring. He also enjoys running, travel, skiing, computers, zymurgy, and playing the violin.

Thoby James Lawrence, MD - Assistant Program Director

T. James Lawrence was born in England, grew up on the East Coast, but has now lived in San Francisco longer than anywhere else in his life. He went to Harvard University for an undergraduate degree in Biology and then came out to San Francisco for medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. He stayed at UCSF for residency in Internal Medicine. He then joined the Permanente Medical Group in 2000 in general internal medicine clinic and has been an Assistant Program Director since 2005.

His clinical interests include hypertension and online medical evidence sources. Outside of work, he enjoys biking to work, volleyball, small theater, and dining in small-child-friendly restaurants with his family.