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A Message from the Program Director
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Greetings!
Welcome to the UCLA Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Med-Peds) Residency Program. Our program was created in 2003 with a curriculum that provides balanced, comprehensive educational experiences in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. We have combined Med-Peds continuity clinics, a monthly Med-Peds teaching session, and a Med-Peds outpatient curriculum. We have an innovative Med-Peds Transition Care Program that is based in our residency program. In 2011, we were awarded a federal grant to develop a Life Course Health Development curriculum to address significant health issues such as cardiovascular disease, mental health, and women's health across the lifespan. We believe our program's curriculum is not only sound but also cutting edge!
The foundation of our program is strong clinical experiences that will provide outstanding generalist Med-Peds training. This includes optimal primary care experiences for combined Med-Peds continuity clinic. Because of a program-level commitment to the underserved, since 2005 we have cared for patients at the Venice Family Clinic, a community health center dedicated to serving the low-income, immigrant patients on the Westside. In July 2010, we opened a new Santa Monica-UCLA Internal Medicine-Pediatrics practice, dedicated to a high-quality Med-Peds continuity clinic experience for the residents. Staffed by core Med-Peds faculty, Med-Peds residents have unparalleled clinical training in a real-world community practice.
In July 2013, we moved into a new space and became the first outpatient clinic in the UCLA Health System to provide care for patients 365 days a year with extended hours. We have same-day/walk-in capability, and 33% of our patients fall into this category. Over 25% of our patients come during our extended hours, either between 5-9 pm or on weekends or holidays. Our practice is busy with 2200 patients seen each month, and we have 40% pediatrics, 15% geriatrics, and a busy newborn nursery service.
After 12 years, we have developed a track record of producing high-quality physicians who have both stayed at UCLA as well as gone on to practice in other parts of the world. Our graduates practice primary care, enter competitive subspecialty fellowship positions, or stay in the academic setting with research interests in public health, global health, medical education, or the basic sciences.
The Ronald Reagan-UCLA Medical Center has been named "Best Hospital in the West" for more than fifteen years by the U.S. News & World Report survey, with top 20 rankings in pediatrics, oncology, gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, pulmonology, and rheumatology. UCLA has also ranked first in geriatrics for almost two decades. Our excellence in patient care and research translates into outstanding training opportunities for residents.
Finally, Los Angeles is a vibrant city in which to reside on the West Coast. The population is wonderfully culturally diverse, with a mix of peoples and languages from many ethnicities. The region is also geographically varied, where one can surf, ski and snowboard, and blaze a trail through the desert, all in the same day. Best of all, the Los Angeles area averages 329 days of sunshine each year.
I encourage you to explore our program, ask many questions, and see for yourself what the UCLA Med-Peds program has to offer!
Alice Kuo, MD, PhD
Director, UCLA Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program
Chief, Medicine-Pediatrics Section
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UCLA Medicine-Pediatrics
This breadth of knowledge and practical skills allow for great flexibility in their approach to patient care. Their ability to care for multiple generations of a family at once naturally allows for deeper insight into family dynamics and the impact of chronic illness at all ages, in addition to filling the gap in transitional care from pediatric to adult medicine.
This same flexibility translates to great versatility in following multiple career paths such as generalists, hospitalists, subspecialists, research, public health, administration, and education.
With clinical rotations in our nationally recognized health system, our residents have the opportunity to practice among the best faculty and facilities there is to offer. UCLA also offers some of the best subspecialty divisions in both pediatrics and medicine, as well as housing strong schools in public health, education, public policy, business, and law for those interested in pursuing further inter-disciplinary training.
We are committed to developing strong leaders, improving our health system, and building community partnerships in order to establish the trust and rapport necessary for successful treatment and managed care for our patients. Innovation, expertise, versatility, and excellence is why you should consider our training program and join the Best in the West.