Residency Program
Welcome to our UCLA Anesthesiology Family
Your Journey Starts Here
We appreciate your interest in our Anesthesiology Residency Program here at UCLA. We offer an engaging and supportive world-class educational experience filled with diverse clinical training that will provide you with a solid knowledge base, prepare you well to be a strong and competent leader in the field, as well as be able to independently be able to problem solve effectively in your post-residency career. You'll also be immersed in a multicultural and inclusive culture, form meaningful relationships with your colleagues as well as our renown faculty members that will last a lifetime. We're excited to share with you the many benefits of being part of our residency training program and we hope that you strongly consider joining our Bruin family and rank UCLA as your top choice!
Residency applicants may begin submitting MyERAS® applications to programs at 9 a.m. ET. on September 6, 2023
UCLA Anesthesiology NRMP Program Listing # 1956040C0
Our Resident Family
The Bruin resident family will be a vital part of your life during residency training at UCLA. We have a diverse group coming from all over the United States and beyond. You will get to know them, unwind, share fun experiences running in a marathon or participate in a fitness challenge as well as provide support and encouragement during challenging times. Your family members will also be working alongside you professionally, sharing knowledge, expertise, and collaborating on quality patient care. We believe that building this camaraderie fosters strong connections with your fellow residents that will be fulfilling and last a lifetime. Explore LA with your colleagues! You'll fall in love with our residents and our city!
Life in the City of Angels
The City of Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and offers a little bit of everything. From a fast-paced lifestyle of a big city or a slower-paced beach lifestyle, you'll find it here in LA. You'll find diverse art and culture, festivals, incredible year-round weather and outdoor recreation, amazing views of the ocean, and if you're a foodie, you'll find some of the best dining and entertainment in the world. We also have a variety of cultural niches like Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Chinatown, Thai Town, Little Armenia, Historic Filipinotown, Little Ethiopia and more sprawling in our diverse city. Our residents have plenty of things to explore and enjoy!
We're Committed to Providing Quality Education & Healthcare Services
We have an impressive Education Steering Committee (ESC) that is facilitated by our faculty representatives (Dr. Jack Buckley, Dr. Jason Lee, Dr. Emily Methangkool, Dr. Judi Turner, Dr. Michael Sopher, Dr. Soban Umar), Chief Residents, and peer-selected representatives from each resident class. They meet monthly to seek resident input for program development and improvement throughout the year.
With Excellence in Research & Training
Resident research and scholarly activity are an important part of training at UCLA. Residents present case reports and hypothesis-based research (with department financial support) at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting, the Western Anesthesia Residents' Conference (WARC), and subspecialty conferences.
We invite you to take some time to look at some of our resident's hard work in our featured articles below.
Resident Research Spotlight
Study by Park, Liang, and Umar Using Electronic Remodeling Featured in Pulmonary Hypertension News
Study's focus: Genes that regulate the heart's electrical properties
Two advanced research track opportunities are available. The ABA allows up to 11 months of dedicated research time with appropriate notification of the Credentials Committee.
Featured UCLA Anesthesiology News
Your Mental Health and Well-Being is Important
Residency training can be a challenging and demanding time. It is a period of intense learning, long hours, and high-stress situations that can take a toll on one's mental health and well-being. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize mental health and well-being during this period to ensure that you are in the best possible position to provide high-quality care to your patients and avoid burnout.
In summary, your mental health and well-being are essential at UCLA, and it is crucial to prioritize them. By taking care of yourself, we want you to be able to provide high-quality care to your patients, prevent burnout, improve your quality of life, and set yourself up for long-term success in your career as an Anesthesiologist.
Highlights on the Benefits of our Program
Our residency program offers numerous benefits such as the opportunity to gain practical experience in a safe and supportive environment. Our graduates are well prepared clinically to manage difficult cases and have gone on to practice Anesthesiology in various career paths. To view more details about our residency program, read our quick facts about our program.
We also provide key amenities that will make your learning experience even better. Below, you will find highlights on some of the benefits we offer here at UCLA that our residents find to be most useful and convenient for them not only for their personal enjoyment, but also professionally. Learn more about all our other resident benefits.
Meal Allowances
Sick Leave
Required Examinations Paid
Education Fund
Medical License Reimbursement
Fatigue Mitigation Transportation
Vacation Time
Conference Sponsorship
Jackets/White Coats Personalized
Parental Leave
Relocation Stipend
Competitive Compensation
Explore our Clinical Training Sites
Our residency training is based in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRUMC), a 520-bed, 1,050,000-square-foot, Level I Trauma Center and Pediatric Critical Care Center that provides patient care in nearly all medical specialties. In addition to its state-of-the-art medical facilities, the center is also known for its beautiful architecture and stunning art collection, which includes works by famous artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. It is one of the most technologically sophisticated hospitals in the world.
RRUMC has been named one of the top hospitals regionally in Los Angeles for 33 consecutive years, and is one of the top ten hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA also ranks every year among the top pediatric medical centers in the United States.
We provide comprehensive exposure to a variety of hospital settings in the subsequent three years, with training in cardiothoracic, pediatric, and all the other anesthesiology subspecialties. Opportunities for international and other innovative experiences abound.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Founded in 1955, UCLA Medical Center became Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in 2008, reopening in a 10-story structure that takes hospital design to a new level. The latest medical advances are provided in a welcoming environment that is filled with light and open space to enhance a sense of wellness and promote healing. Situated on four acres on the UCLA campus in West Los Angeles, the hospital encompasses Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. This was one of the first total replacement hospital projects to be built in accordance with the latest California seismic safety requirements. Every floor of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is dedicated to a particular specialty and equipped with state-of-the-art support equipment and supplies. Every floor has its own satellite pharmacy, dialysis storage, respiratory therapy workrooms, and resident doctor sleep rooms. In addition, each patient room has the capacity to convert into an intensive care unit (ICU) to allow for the continuous care of a critically ill patient in a single room.
At RRUMC, our residents are provided with clinical experience in perioperative pain management for adults and pediatric patients undergoing surgical treatment. They specifically learn to assess acute pain, manage postoperative epidural analgesia, acute pain management with systemic medications, technical aspects of epidural catheter placement, prescribe and administer epidural local anesthetics
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center serves as the cornerstone of UCLA Health's Santa Monica medical campus. The 281-bed, (22 beds in Adult ICU, 25 beds in Pediatric Unit, 26 beds in Oncology), 16 operating room full-service medical center provides the complete continuum of healthcare services, from prenatal and neonatal care to geriatric medicine, in a technologically advanced and welcoming facility. It combines the expertise of an academic medical center with the accessibility of a community hospital to offer patients the best of both medical worlds.
Our residents will gain clinical experience in the anesthetic management of adult and pediatric surgical patients undergoing surgical treatment of diseases that require anesthesia, including regional anesthesia. They will also learn to identify intraoperative problems, formulate differential diagnosis, and treat the problems independently. They will increase their technical skills with placements of peripheral IV's, perform awake tracheal intubations, as well as perform epidural and regional anesthesia blocks with minimal assistance.
Olive View UCLA Medical Center
Basic and Advanced Regional Anesthesiology
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is a county teaching hospital located in Sylmar, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The hospital was originally established in 1920 as a tuberculosis sanatorium and has since evolved into a comprehensive medical center with a wide range of clinical specialties, including trauma care, neurology, cardiology, psychiatry, and more. Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is renowned for its Level I Trauma Center, which provides critical care to patients with life-threatening injuries. In addition to its clinical and academic excellence, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is known for its commitment to serving the underserved communities in the San Fernando Valley.
Our residents will gain wide range of clinical experience in spinal & epidural anesthesia, peripheral nerve blocks, brachial plexus blocks, as well as intravenous regional anesthesia. Residents will gain exposure to a wide range of patients requiring regional and general anesthesia from outpatient surgery to patients requiring intensive care, but not requiring referral to a tertiary institution. Overall, residents will learn how to formulate a comprehensive perioperative treatment plan to effectively treat a patient in a county hospital setting as opposed to a large tertiary care hospital.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a non-profit pediatric hospital located in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1901, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious children's hospitals in the United States. CHLA provides care for children and adolescents with a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, and orthopedic conditions. The hospital offers a comprehensive range of clinical services, including surgery, critical care, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, and more.
Our residents rotate through CHLA to acquire clinical experience in a variety of challenging pediatric cases. They will learn skills in pediatric airway management, LMA insertions, advanced intravenous, intra-arterial and central venous cannulation, as well as regional anesthesia. They will also learn effective communication skills and techniques to decrease patient and patient family anxiety.
MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center
Obstetric Anesthesiology
MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is a non-profit hospital located in Long Beach, California. The hospital is part of the MemorialCare Health System, which is a leading provider of healthcare services in Southern California. The hospital offers a wide range of medical services, including cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, and more. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is known for its exceptional cardiac care, which includes a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services for heart conditions. The hospital is also a Level II Trauma Center, providing advanced care to patients with life-threatening injuries. The trauma center is staffed by a team of highly skilled physicians and nurses who are trained to provide immediate and critical care to patients in need.
Our residents will rotate at this hospital to acquire clinical knowledge, experience, and build skills in managing the obstetric patient. They will investigate, evaluate, and demonstrate their abilities to apply scientific evidence to decision making, compare evidence-based practice to commonly taught experience to develop practice strategy, as well as become familiar with and navigate through systems based medicine.
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center
Critical Care, Cardiac, and Multispecialty Anesthesiology
West LA VA Medical Center provides healthcare services to veterans in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system and offers a wide range of healthcare services to veterans, including primary care, mental health care, specialty care, and rehabilitation services. The hospital has a number of specialty clinics, including a spinal cord injury clinic, a traumatic brain injury clinic, and a women's health clinic.
Our residents will learn the essential knowledge base in fundamentals of critical care medicine, cardiac, and multispecialty anesthesiology. They will learn and practice various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to effectively treat their patients. They will also acquire technical skills such as induction techniques, airway management and laryngoscopy, management of invasive monitors, echocardiographic examination, thoracentesis, and placement and managing nerve blocks to name a few. Overall, our residents will have ample clinical exposure and complex understanding of the VA health care delivery system and learn how to effectively manage and treat their patients with the resources provided.
Together, all these locations provide wide experience for our residents and fellows in working with different patient populations and healthcare systems.
Core Residency Leadership
We are fortunate to have a strong Core Residency Leadership led by Dr. Jack Buckley. They are a supportive group responsible for managing and overseeing our residency program. They play a crucial role in shaping our educational experiences as well as professional development in our department. They also ensure that our residency program meets all of the accreditation requirements set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) such as ensuring that residents receive adequate training and education in all required areas, and that the program provides sufficient resources and supportive care to facilitate their learning and growth.
In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the residency program, core residency leaders are also responsible for identifying and addressing any issues or challenges that arise. They work closely with our residents to provide guidance and mentorship, as well as with other faculty members and hospital administrators to address larger program-wide concerns. They also have a deep understanding and awareness of the unique needs and challenges faced by resident physicians, and are committed to providing a supportive and empowering learning environment that promotes excellence and fosters growth.
Jack C. Buckley, MD
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Didactics and Curriculum Development for UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Resident Research for UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety for UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Education Administration
Our residency program is not complete without the help of our administrators. Our dedicated team led by Lucelva Mendez is the backbone of our program and they manage various elements of the program with the Core Residency Leadership including resident recruitment and selection, curriculum development, financial management, and program evaluation in accordance to ACGME and ABA policies and requirements. We strongly believe in the importance of upholding high standards of learning and developing a program that helps our residents to meet their core clinical competencies and milestones. These are critical components to the success of our residency program as we aim to attract the best residents who are passionate about our field of Anesthesiology and to provide them with the tools for success.
Lucelva Mendez
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Areli Gonzalez
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Karen Larrañaga, MEd
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Dalena Le, MHA
UCLA Anesthesiology Residency Program
Samantha Padilla