Rick McPheeters, DO

About Dr. McPheeters

Dr. Rick McPheeters, DO is the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Kern Medical and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at UCLA. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in Animal Science and received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona. Dr. McPheeters completed both his internship and residency in Emergency Medicine at Kern Medical.

During his Residency, Dr. McPheeters served as the chief resident. As faculty, he has most notably served Kern Medical as the Residency Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and is now chair of the Department. Dr. McPheeters has also served as the EMS Director, Research Director, and Research Assistant Program Director at Kern Medical. He is an Associate Editor for the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, Editor-in-chief of Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine and the Medical Director of the Paramedic Program at Bakersfield College.

Dr. McPheeters is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is and has been an active member of numerous committees including Liaison between Department of Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Program Directors Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee, and Medical Executive Committee. He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, Council of Residency Directors, and fellow of American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He has received multiple honors and special awards, including Teacher of the Year Award at Kern Medical on 5 separate occasions, and featured as one of Bakersfield Magazine’s five local “ER Top Docs”.

Dr. McPheeters plays an active role in the community including mentoring Kern County premed students in the ED, sits on the Residency Applicant Interview Committee, and is on the Council of Residency Directors (EM). He is VP of the Tulare Basin Wetlands Association, Conservation group, and on the Board of Directors of the Bakersfield Police Activities League.