Residency Program

The emergency medicine residency program is geared toward producing physicians of a consultant level, ready to pursue a growing number of career pathways within the specialty.

About the Residency Program

The Emergency Medicine (EM) residency training program at LAC+USC began in 1971 and is one of the oldest- and longest-running EM residency programs in the country. We continue to be leaders in the specialty through educational innovation, research and leadership, as well as the training of clinically and procedurally competent emergency medicine physicians.

The program is dedicated to the mission of our safety-net hospital to provide emergency access to the citizens of Los Angeles County regardless of their ability to pay. We pride ourselves on delivering a high-level of culturally competent care to our patient population.

Over 600 physicians have graduated from our program – the largest alumni body of emergency medicine specialists both in the United States and internationally. Our family of graduates has excelled in every aspect of the field, and is well represented in academic medicine, research, subspecialty practice, community leadership, and public service.

Educational Environment

As both a County Hospital and a large Level I Trauma Center, our residents train in a clinical learning environment that is rich in pathology, acuity, procedural experience and cultural diversity. The clinical experience is complimented by an equally rich educational experience.

Our training philosophy embraces the concept of graduated responsibility to empower junior residents to grow comfortably into the role of confident, autonomous senior residents who possess the leadership skills necessary to handle any clinical scenario.

Resident Wellness

Critical to our mission is the promotion of wellness and resilience among our residents, faculty and supporting staff. Throughout their four years, our residents participate in small group peer-facilitated debriefing sessions to discuss the various work and life challenges associated with residency training.

Schedule Overview

The residency program spans four years, in which residents rotate through a multitude of services from the cardiac care unit to obstetrics and more. Residents receive more autonomy with the progression of the program.

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Rotation Facilities

Emergency residents spend the majority of their training at LAC+USC Medical Center, but also rotate at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.

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Clinical Programs

One of the advantages of training in a 4-year program is the flexibility in the curriculum that residents are given. This allows our residents to carve out a niche for themselves within the larger specialty of emergency medicine.

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