Podiatric Surgery Residency

The Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency with Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle (PMSR/RRA) credential offered by UCLA is accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME). Our residency program sponsors for four residents each year for three years (36 months) of training. 

Our three-year surgical based residency program aims to train residents to become well rounded podiatric physicians and surgeons. Residents receive training from some of the most respected teaching hospitals in Los Angeles with a diverse patient population at the Greater Los Angeles, UCLA, Olive-View UCLA, and Kaiser Hospitals. At these facilities, our residents learn from numerous nationally recognized attendings. Training involves exposure to a wide variety of lower extremity pathology including trauma, limb salvage, reconstruction, and elective surgery. Additionally, residents have vast opportunities to participate in research studies. Research at our program has been robustly funded by more than $3 million in grants. 

We strive to prepare residents for expert care in all aspects of podiatric medicine and surgery. 

Program at a Glance

•    Length of program: 3 years 
•    Number of positions available: Four PGY-1 residents per year 

Training Experience

Didactic Schedule:

• Monthly cadaver lab at UCLA-Ronald Reagan
• Monthly grand rounds and journal club
• Monthly multidisciplinary M&M with General/Vascular/Ortho/ENT
• Monthly resident lecture 
• Monthly attending lecture
• Bi-monthly book club
• Bi-monthly radiology rounds with musculoskeletal Radiologist
• Bi-monthly research meetings 
• Weekly student didactic sessions 
• Weekly surgical case review sessions

Locations

• DVA West Los Angeles Medical Center
• UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center
• UCLA – Olive View Medical Center
• Kaiser Woodland Hills Medical Center
• Kaiser West Los Angeles

Additional Benefits:
Competitive salary, medical insurance (including health, dental, and vision), ABFAS In-training exam, board study resources, UCLA Cadaver Lab, annual residency retreat, free meals and parking, embroidered white coats and soft-shell jackets, scrub cards, paid BLS/ACLS courses, AO and ACFAS conferences, and full medical library access. 

Local Attractions: 
Located in the heart of West LA, close to numerous restaurants and landmarks. Sunny Southern California weather and 10 minutes from the beach, Santa Monica Pier & Promenade, Venice Boardwalk, Hollywood. 45 minutes from Disneyland, Six Flags-Magic Mountain, and Universal Studios.  

How to Apply

Application Process

Thank you for your interest in our program. The Central Application Service for Podiatric Residencies (CASPR) has developed an application service and matching program for all applicants. All applicants are required to apply through CASPR. More information can be found online at www.casprweb.org.

The CASPR operates on a fixed Schedule of Dates which all participants must follow.
Important Dates: 

• July 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time: Applicant Registration and Applications Open.
• September 30, 2022: Recommended Deadline for College Material Upload.
• October 31, 2022, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time: Applications must be submitted in the NMS Match System to be included in the initial set of applications provided to programs. If a program requires any direct supplemental fees or materials they must also be submitted by this date.

Application Requirements

• Personal Statement
• 3 Letters of Recommendation 
• Curriculum Vitae 
• APMLE Part I and Part II 
• Medical school transcripts 
• Externship strongly encouraged, but not required 

Our Faculty

Chief of Podiatric Surgery at UCLA: Aksone Nouvong, DPM (Associate Program Director at UCLA)

Our three-year surgical based residency program aims to train residents to become well rounded podiatric physicians and surgeons. Residents receive training from some of the most respected teaching hospitals in Los Angeles with a diverse patient population at the Greater Los Angeles, UCLA, Olive-View UCLA, and Kaiser Hospitals. At these facilities, our residents learn from numerous nationally recognized attendings. Training involves exposure to a wide variety of lower extremity pathology including trauma, limb salvage, reconstruction, and elective surgery. Additionally, residents have vast opportunities to participate in research studies. Research at our program has been robustly funded by more than $3 million in grants. 

Residency Program Director at UCLA: David Aungst, DPM

UCLA Attendings:
David Aungst, DPM
Stephen Benson, DPM
Thomas Curtis, DPM
Justin Franson, DPM
Eric Lee, DPM
Akson Nouvong, DPM
Jonathan A. Thompson, DPM  

Our Residents

PGY-3
  Vivek Kommineni – Western University College of Podiatric Medicine
  Maham Malik – New York College of Podiatric Medicine    
  Shivam Patel – Western University College of Podiatric Medicine   
  Ivan Suarez – Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine    

PGY-2
  Branda Bui – Western University College of Podiatric Medicine 
  Christine Chester – Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine   
  Karishma Patel – Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine   
  Parth Patel – Western University College of Podiatric Medicine 

PGY-1
  Alexis Franson - Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine
  Raffi Khechoumian - Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine
  Kevin Vera - Samuel Merritt School of Podiatric Medicine
  Gordon Yee - Western University College of Podiatric Medicine

To learn more please contact our Education team

Ronald Lopez
Surgery Education Office Manager
Phone: 424-402-6560
[email protected]

Alexa Osime
Vascular and Podiatry Surgery Residency and Fellowship Coordinator
Phone: 310-825-8778 
Fax: 310-267-0369 
[email protected]

Chi Quach
Director of Education
Phone: 310-206-9291 
Fax: 310-267-0369 
[email protected]