From its beautiful weather to incredible diversity, LA is the place to be a happy, active, and well-fed surgery resident.

Outdoor Activities

It’s true, LA is almost always sunny. Home to four mountain ranges, LA offers dozens of beautiful hiking opportunities within the city, as well as six national parks within a two-hour drive. The Santa Monica Mountains and Los Angeles National Forest have endless miles of trails to explore. Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu offer beautiful beaches and good surf. You can head to Big Bear or Mammoth Mountain, among others, to enjoy a weekend skiing getaway during the winter. For those willing to travel a little farther, the breathtaking scenery of Big Sur, Sequoia, and Yosemite are all within driving distance.

Two residents hiking with scenery in the background.
Sunset in Los Angeles

Arts and Culture

Culture overflows in Los Angeles. From Koreatown to Little Persia, you can get to know the incredible diversity of our city and its communities. You can enjoy live concerts while having a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl or listen to the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. If you love musicals and plays, you can watch performances at the Pantages Theatre or walk a few blocks to the Geffen Playhouse. LA is overflowing with activities to explore during your time here as a resident. If you’re a sports fan, LA is also the proud home of the LA Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Rams, Chargers, and Galaxy.

Residents at the Dodgers game.

Dining

Whatever you’re in the mood for, LA has it. Owing to its status as a truly global city, LA has an abundance of restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world. Try out Korean BBQ in Koreatown, the best of Little Ethiopia in Mid-Wilshire, or some of the best Armenian food outside of Armenia in Glendale. LA is also known for its delicious taco trucks, poke, sushi, and distinct healthy SoCal fare.

Residents eating at Korean BBQ restaurant.

Neighborhoods

Most residents live toward the west side of city, in Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica, or Culver City. Others live a little farther south, near Venice Beach, or more to the east, closer to downtown. Despite what you may have heard, LA traffic patterns are usually pretty predictable (and manageable), and the commute to and from Ronald Reagan, Santa Monica-UCLA, and the VA is usually less than 15 minutes for most residents.

Wellness

Our program is family friendly and believes strongly in resident wellness. In addition to encouraging residents to enjoy all the things LA has to offer, we routinely organize resident wellness activities, including annual kickball and bowling events. In the pre-Covid times, faculty also routinely invited residents and their families over for meals and socializing.

Residents holding their babies.