Harbor-UCLA DEM

Why Harbor?

a member of each class shares their perspective

Senior/Chief Resident
Kevin Andruss, MD

When I made my rank list in February of 2007, I remember the anxiety that came along with making a huge decision with limited information. I ranked Harbor first based on my interactions with residents, the advice I got from some trusted mentors at my medical school, and its ideal geographic location. Only now as a senior resident do I fully appreciate how fortunate I am to have matched here. The diverse patient pathology and high acuity provide for shifts that are very educational and seem to fly by. In addition, the working poor of South Los Angeles are a very grateful patient population. It is common to hear "thank you" from your patient even after they have waited more than 10 hours to be seen. Harbor's faculty boasts some of the best teachers in Emergency Medicine and while most emergency physicians get to learn from them at national conferences, we benefit from their clinical expertise on a daily basis.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Harbor is the camaraderie amongst residents. Harbor consistently attracts a diverse yet cohesive group of residents that work and play well together. I remember as an intern being inspired by the senior residents' ability to run the department, manage multiple sick patients at once, and coach junior residents through procedures. Now as seniors, my classmates have acquired the same skills and are equally dedicated to fostering the growth of junior residents. I am thoroughly enjoying my residency and I cannot imagine a better place to embark on a career in Emergency Medicine.

Junior Resident
Shirley Tung, MD

So why did I choose Harbor? While it's true that Harbor's EM training program has a great reputation throughout the country and turns out many talented physicians who work across the country, that’s not why I ranked it #1. As a medical student at UCLA I knew many residents and faculty at the hospital, and everyone was very friendly, easy to approach, and great teachers. Also, residents on off service rotations had nothing but nice things to say about the ED staff—I heard a lot of praise from other services about how thorough the EM residents are, and I noticed how much the EM residents were respected. The EM faculty was yet another draw; Harbor offered the opportunity to work side by side with many highly respected, world renowned. They are all wonderful teachers, easy to approach, and push us to achieve greatness. Finally, the patient population here at Harbor is one I felt I wouldn't find elsewhere. Not only is there an extreme diversity of patient pathology, but we also see the effects of disease from start to finish (i.e. Hyperglycemia to diabetic coma). Our patients are very appreciative of what we do for them, even after waiting hours in the waiting room they are grateful that you took time out of your busy day to see them, even if all you do is give them some Tylenol. Now that I'm here I see all of these perceptions were true! Moreover, no shift is boring, and no one shift is the same as the prior.

One great piece of advice a mentor gave me when selecting a residency program was to look around at the people and imagine yourself going camping with them. If you think it would be fun, then that's a group of people you would also want to work with. On the other hand, if you think you'd be miserable, then that's probably not a place for you. Personally, I feel that all ED programs turn out great ED docs, but the time spent in a training program is stressful enough on its own without working with people that you are not comfortable with. At Harbor, the residents and faculty are like a family; we share in each others successes and support each other in times of need. This is why we all work so hard, why we are all happy in the program, and this is what sets Harbor's program apart from the rest!

Intern
Stephanie Donald, MD

EM is the perfect specialty for me because I can do a little bit of everything- and take care of just about every kind of patient- on any given day. When I was applying to residency programs, I chose a mix of county and academic medical centers, as well as new and established programs. I had heard many good things about Harbor. Plus, our Department Chair Dr. Robert Hockberger is -like me- from Chicago, AND a White Sox fan!

The day of my interview, I hung out in the ED for ONE hour on a Thursday afternoon, and witnessed a STEMI, a full arrest, penetrating trauma, and witnessed truly excellent teaching rounds - all before heading back to LAX for my flight back to Chicago. I was so impressed by the high acuity of the Emergency Department, as well as the people.

When I added up all of the things I was looking for in a residency program, Harbor stood out as the place where I felt that with three years of hard work, I would be a confident, competent, and compassionate Emergency Physician. Our ED sees and treats patients from all walks of life, along with the rarest illnesses that you never thought you'd see outside of the pages of a Robbins textbook...they truly keep us on our toes around here! I am so excited to be a part of such a diverse, FUN, laid back, hard-working group of people, and I couldn't be happier with my decision (plus, you can't beat the sunshine!).