James Dickens, M.D.

While my formative years were split between California and Oregon and my undergraduate degree was received from California State University, Sacramento, I received my medical degree from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. After medical school, I returned to California and spent one year in an anesthesia residency with the University of California, Irvine but missed the personal interaction and challenges provided by primary care. I returned to my calling and completed my residency at the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in South Carolina before coming home to California permanently.

After residency, I joined a large HMO, practicing in Roseville and, later, Folsom. I found the rushed environment frustrating and counterproductive. It became increasingly difficult to maintain a high level of care. After eight years, I left the HMO and moved to a private practice office in Sacramento in 2006. What I’ve since learned is that there is an underserved population of people suffering from pain/chronic pain, sleep disorders, and balance disorders. All of these contribute to, and in some cases cause, other chronic health issues. In this sense, I am pleased to have teamed up with Premier Healthcare of Placerville to provide patients with an opportunity to be assessed, diagnosed, and treated for these conditions often resulting in an improved quality of life.

Away from the office, I enjoy investing and financial planning, spending time with my wife and children and growing family of pets, and outdoor activities such as fishing, biking, and kayaking. Often times, it is the simple things in life that provide the most pleasure.

Education

Undergraduate: California State University, Sacramento, 1990

Medical school: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 1994

Training Internship: Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Spartanburg, SC, 1994-95

Residency: Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Spartanburg, SC, 1996-98

Residency: UC Irvine College of Medicine, Irvine, CA, 1995-96 (Anesthesia)

Board Certification: Family Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, exp. 2012