How a UCSF Emergency Medicine Resident Landed on ‘Survivor’ Island

Palm-size spiders are enough to make most people run for cover.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg for Kishan Patel, MD, a third-year emergency medicine resident at UCSF and contestant on the new season of “Survivor” on CBS.

Patel’s other obstacles to reality TV glory included getting by on just small bits of coconut, “brutal” contestant challenges and plenty of scheming, strategy and backstabbing fit for one of television’s most iconic franchises – now in its 47th season.

“It was insane,” Patel said of his “Survivor” experience, which is airing now. “It was so cool to actually be part of it. I still feel like it was all a fever dream and I'm going to wake up and see it was all fake.”

Like many, the Southern California native fell in love with “Survivor” during the COVID pandemic. “I was just mesmerized by the show,” Patel said. “It's a great representation of the world and how people interact with each other, marooned on an island and having to work together. You also have to vote each other off, strategize and even backstab a little. It was just so fun to watch. I wanted to be part of that adventure.”

So, Patel filled out an application and soon was on his way to the islands of Fiji with 17 other contestants.

“I think the thing that stood out is my emergency room training and triage,” he said. “Keeping a lot of priorities at bay was a big selling point. During the show, lots of things are coming at you. Being an ER resident, you get really good at figuring out the most pressing thing in that moment. I think they really liked that in my abilities and thought that would translate well to the island.”

Patel, 28, is part of the UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine’s Residency Program. While most often at Parnassus Heights, he also splits his time with emergency departments at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Mission Bay – experience that propelled him on the islands.

“One of the biggest things about being an ER doctor is having patience to listen,” Patel said. “There's pressure to see a lot of people in a short amount of time. But sometimes I need to spend an extra two to three minutes listening to patients in order to help strengthen that relationship. That translated directly to ‘Survivor.’ Some folks like to talk about themselves. I gave them a listening ear and that made a big difference.”

Though Patel can’t say how he did on the show’s new season, he’ll have support from the UCSF community during every episode.

“My colleagues are super excited,” Patel shared. “Everyone just keeps asking about it. It's very cool to be able to represent ER docs and UCSF.”