Frequently Asked Questions
Where do fellows live?
There has never been a better time to live in Los Angeles as the city has seen a huge growth of vibrant neighborhoods that fit every desired style of living. Fellows are spread out throughout the city from high-rise apartments in the lively Downtown LA (aka DTLA), trendy lofts in the Arts District, family-friendly homes in Pasadena, and condos in Silverlake, all located within 10-30 minutes away from USC. For ocean lovers that want to live closer to the beaches, Santa Monica and Venice Beach are located within 45-60 minutes of the hospital.
Do I need a car?
Los Angeles is a large metropolitan city that some people describe as more of a large “sprawl”. Diverse neighborhoods are located throughout Los Angeles which offer fun experiences and delicious dining options. The majority of fellows elect to have a car to allow them to enjoy the city to its fullest. While the public transit system in LA is very functional and continues to rapidly grow, getting around Los Angeles is easiest if you have your own car.
As it pertains to the training experience, the two primary training sites, USC’s Keck University Hospital and LA General/USC Medical Center, are located less than 0.5 miles away from each other on the same USC Health Sciences campus. There is on-campus housing available near Keck Medical Center (For more information check out Currie Hall).
Some fellows have lived in the surrounding neighborhoods around campus, and if you choose to do so, it is feasible to commute via bike or walk. Nevertheless, for fellow safety overnight it is preferred to use our secure on-site parking lots. For the purposes of fellow calls, it is expected that fellows be available to arrive at the hospital within 30 minutes and thus transportation by car is most reliable.
Is on-site complimentary parking provided to medical staff?
Yes! All fellows are provided with complimentary parking at both LA General/USC Medical Center and Keck Medical Center of USC. Fellows use their ID badges to enter the secure parking lots. Check out our Benefits and Salary page for more information about fellow benefits.
Is there free dining available for medical staff?
Yes! Fellows are provided with meal funds using their ID badges. Fellows are provided with 3 meals per day (Approximately $10 per meal) at each of our three medical campus hospital cafeterias (LA General/USC Medical Center, Keck Medical Center, Norris Cancer Hospital) - a total value of ~$60 per day! You will not be left hungry or in need of caffeine.
What do fellows do on weekends or days off?
LA enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year and like most Angelinos, fellows take advantage of the countless opportunities that this city has to offer. There are dozens of beaches within driving distance, hiking in stunning locations like Malibu and the Hollywood Hills, and scores of parks with incredible views of the city.
Many people take advantage of the famed snow and surf day as the mountains and beaches are both within driving distance. During the winter you can snowboard in the morning and lounge on the beach and watch the sunset in the evening all on the same day. LA is known for its diverse and bustling food scene with everything from the famous hole-in-the-wall eateries to fine dining restaurants.
You can spend three years eating your way through the best culinary options the country has to offer. Check out some of our favorite resources for some weekend adventure inspiration:
Program-sponsored fun/events?
The LA General/USC Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship takes USC’s “work-hard, play-heard” motto to heart. The program builds in time for team-building and socializing through multiple fellow retreats, holiday parties, and social hours to break out of the hospital and unwind.
How are the outpatient clinics at LAC+USC structured?
Each fellow has a group of empaneled patients they will follow through their 3 years of fellowship; these patients are referred from outside providers, or internally from recent hospitalizations or presentations. These continuity clinics are supplemented with sub-specialty clinics, such as Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Electrophysiology, and Interventional clinics on specific days of the month. This ensures that each fellow is exposed to both their own continuity empaneled patients as well as specialized outpatient follow-ups. See our Continuity Clinic page to learn more about the ambulatory experience.
Is there are structured mentorship program?
Yes! At the beginning of the fellowship, every incoming fellow will be assigned to a mentorship “firm” group. These groups are composed of fellows from all three years of training together with two faculty mentor advisors. Mentorship firms meet regularly throughout the year for coffee breaks, lunches, happy hours, etc. These sessions are great opportunities to receive career guidance from both faculty mentors and your peers and to discuss life both in and out of the hospital.
Are there opportunities to get involved in research?
Yes! Our faculty are involved in a wide variety of ongoing research endeavors, ranging from small case series to large, multi-center, randomized, controlled trials. Fellows are encouraged to engage in scholarly activities and have wonderful opportunities to partner with our faculty. Each year our fellows present their research work at both national and international meetings. See our Division Research and Fellow Research Track pages to learn more about ongoing faculty scholarly activities, review past fellow accomplishments, and learn about our structured fellowship research track.
Is there protected didactic time built into the program?
Each Thursday morning, fellows are excused from clinical duties for didactic sessions; these lectures are either peer or faculty-led and range from EKG and Board review to Hemodynamics and advanced mechanical circulatory support measures. All lectures are currently conducted digitally via Zoom and social distancing precautions are enforced, which allows fellows to access content from the location of their choosing. In addition, there are structured conferences, including Interventional/Cath Conference, EP conference, and lunchtime Grand Rounds presentations which are led by faculty and the fellow of service at that time. See our Didactics and Curriculum pages to learn about these educational initiatives.
What is the call system like at LA General/USC?
At LA General/USC, first-year fellows begin taking home-call approximately 6-weeks into the year; this allows for time to acclimate to their new roles and surroundings and study for board exams without the added stress of taking calls. Fellows take home-call and are responsible for responding to and teaching the house staff for both the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and Cardiology Consult services throughout the night, and responding to all STEMI activations. First-year fellows take approximately 46 calls/year, second-year fellows take ~16 calls/year, and third-year fellows take ~11 calls/year. There is a robust backup call system in place if additional assistance is needed. Additionally, each night there are attending faculty on call for all cardiology services.