“I developed skills in patient care that makes me very competitive in the job market. OV provided a great environment to learn with intelligent and helpful faculty. Every program has its strengths and weaknesses. But OV is so dedicated to changing and improving on any weakness that there really isn't much I can think of to change. I am very glad that I chose to train at OV. I would recommend this program to any prospective housestaff with full confidence, and I'm not the kind of person that can sell something unless I totally believe in it. Outstanding training program.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: Loma Linda)

“After 3 years at this program, I felt very well trained and competent to be an internist. The teaching from the subspecialists (ie. Rheum, Heme/Onc, etc) is perhaps the most underrated but in my mind the most important learning opportunity. As a fellow now, and having the opportunity to work with residents from other programs, there is no question that the knowledge base of Olive View residents, the confidence in doing procedures, and clinical judgment is outstanding.
Finally, the administrative support are not only professional, organized, and "supportive", but they also provide an atmosphere to relax, unwind, and were always willing to provide advise for careers, fellowships, wedding plans, restaurants, dog outfits, etc.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: Emory)

“I may have worked harder at Olive View than at some other programs, but the education and the friendships I made were well worth it. I enjoyed my year at Olive View and miss the people very much!”

 - 2003-04 Intern (Medical School: UCLA)

“Overall an amazing residency experience. The patient population and pathology was perfect, ranging from your typical bread and butter community medicine to routinely seeing a lot of Zebras. The attendings for the most part are all excellent teachers, extremely personable and are very approachable. All in all it was a great 3 years and I'd do it over in a second.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: Boston)

“There is a definite confidence level and preparedness at the end of residency. I did feel well equipped for general medicine, whether inpatient or outpatient. There was not an urgency to consult the various specialties when working in the community after graduation. The working environment during residency was excellent. There is a real sense of friendship after 3 years throughout the ranks from residents to attendings.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: UC Davis)

“A big LA residency which manages to give everyone individual attention. I felt like I was part of a "family". Being able to curbside Endo, GI, Cards, or whoever whenever I needed it was an amazing gift that I miss terribly now that I'm in private practice.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: UCLA)

“I know that my training at Olive View has prepared me for whatever career path that I may choose. It has literally left me feeling comfortably in all areas of medicine. While not only obtaining a great education, I also became part of a family. I have made friends that I know I will stay in touch with beyond just my training years.”

 - 2003-04 Intern (Medical School: Cornell)

“OVMC provided a great general medicine experience with tons of interesting cases along with an abundance of the "bread and butter".  Olive View is a wonderful place to practice medicine. Not only are the people really caring, but the work load is manageable and very interesting. I would definitely rank OVMC as one of the top IM programs in So Cal.”

 - 2003-04 Resident (Medical School: NYMC)

“We see a wide range of patients who present with a broad spectrum of diseases.  In most of the cases, the patients have never been seen a physician before so we have the added challenge of being the first ones diagnose them.  Also, through our rotations the fact that we are a county facility gives us the advantage and responsibility of being the sole caretakers of our patients.  Unlike other programs where private MDs can sometimes dictate plans, at Olive View, we the residents, under the supervision of our attendings, are the true decision makers.  I love it here at Olive View and can't imagine doing my residency anywhere else.  I especially realized just how lucky we were at Olive View during one of my rotations at another hospital.  Although I appreciated the experience of seeing how medicine was practiced in a private hospital, I found myself counting the days until I could return back to Olive View.  The independence that we have in taking care of our patients provides us with an excellent opportunity to learn and I think that it also forces us to really think about every decision we make.  Our program does an excellent job of picking residents who care about each other and are willing to help each other out even if it means creating more work for themselves.  Our attendings are enthusiastic about teaching and always accessible.  Although working in a county facility comes with it's unique set of obstacles, I think that they are a small price to pay for the other experiences that it provides.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: UCLA)

“Covers the whole gamut of internal medicine - daily general medicine cases to esoteric and strange cases! No matter how hard the nights got, there was always backup and support. Excellent supportive atmosphere.  Excellent balance of outpatient and inpatient experience. Warm and friendly atmosphere to learn as much as there is to offer. Program director receptive to change and colleagues are a pleasure to work with. Medicine office always open to any question we have, and always very supportive of housestaff education and endeavors.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: USC)

“The program has completely exceeded my expectations. Having rotated as a medical student here during my fourth year, I knew that the patient population, faculty, staff and housestaff were excellent, but the one thing that I did not completely expect is that I would be having so much fun, while learning so much.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UCLA-Drew)

“Being in a county setting has proven to be extremely rewarding due to the wide variety of pathology seen, and the care given to those people who need it the most. As an intern, I am the main doctor for my patients, and I have ample opportunities for decision making, and to discuss issues with my team.  I love being at Olive View, and I truly feel like a part of a huge family. I cannot stress enough how happy I am to be at Olive View. The diversity of the patient population, the wide variety of pathology, and the satisfaction of helping people who need it the most are all huge reasons for any person to consider when applying for residency. Furthermore, I have a ton of autonomy, and I am the main doctor in most cases, and I have learned so much from trial and error. Of course, help is always around the corner if needed, via residents and attendings.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine)

“residents and attendings are awesome and great people to work with and made the experience wonderful.  Overall, Olive View is a great place to do residency!  The people you work with (co-residents, senior residents, attendings) are all awesome.  The patients experience and cases are invaluable.”

 - 2002 Preliminary Graduate (Medical School: USC)

“My medical school dealt primarily with a very diverse population, and my training at Olive-View has been very much what I've expected.  I'm very happy with the types of disease processes I've had the pleasure to deal with. My clinic experiences at the UCLA-SFVP have been excellent.  The attendings were all very receptive to my recommendations and gave excellent input regarding patient management. The administrative support is one of the strongest reasons why I chose to come to Olive-View for internship .... people are always available to help with any issues I'd need help resolving.  I've already worked at the VA, Olive-View, and Cedars, and overall am very happy with my decision to come to the UCLA-SFV program.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: USC)

“On the whole, the attendings and residents are knowledgeable and approachable. Furthermore, they exhibit qualities that I can aspire to emulate not only as doctors but also as people. The patient population is diverse. The county system is not so bad and we have a lot of autonomy, but also just enough guidance. Also, our administrative support is friendly, on top of things, and in touch with the residents' needs. I'm very happy here.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: Albert Einstein)

“A wonderful program both in terms of clinical experience and the academic experience. A great mix of inpatient and outpatient medicine”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: Albany Medical College)

“I've really enjoyed my time here.  It truly feels like a family here.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: UCLA)

“Lots of good clinical experience and interesting cases in both inpatient and outpatient medicine.  Overall, very friendly and non-threatening, supportive environment to work in.  I think the blend of good clinical experience, excellent teaching and cases to learn from, and a very supportive and friendly environment has made for a balanced, fun and sound education in internal medicine”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: UC Davis)

“I'm so happy to have transferred in!!!”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: Chicago Medical School)

“Very good clinical experience, often pt's present with new problems and residents get to diagnose the illness and get to see the progression of the disease. Free meals at Olive View are a plus! And Administrators are very helpful”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: Temple University)

“My experience at Olive View medical center has been one of the most rewarding. The teaching is excellent , the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. The years I spent there allowed me to meet friends that I hope to keep for the rest of life.”

 - 2002-03 Graduate Fellow (Medical School: UCLA)

“Excellent variety of patients. This program has exceeded my expectations from the beginning, providing a perfect mix of guidance, support, autonomy, and a wide variety of complex patients which establish a superb medium for learning.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: University of Arizona)

“Great hands on experience with as much autonomy as you want, with supervision and help always available. A great teaching hospital with friendly  and open staff and faculty. Olive View-UCLA provides the most optimal mixture of hands on experience allowing for independent thought and synthesis of clinical situations while at the same time providing a very amiable and supportive environment for teaching and learning.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UCSF)

“This is an excellent training program for anyone who wants a balanced inpatient/outpatient experience.  the attendings and housestaff are friendly and excellent teachers.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: Colorado University)

“My training at Olive View was excellent.  It provided a great teaching and enriched clinical experience.  I really enjoyed the time at Olive View.”

 - 2002-03 Fellow (Medical School: Chicago Medical School)

“Our program allows you to experience a wide variety of clinical settings and facilitates exposure to a wide variety of illnesses.  It allows a perfect balance between clinical autonomy and supervised instruction.”

 - 2002-03 Graduate Fellow (Medical School: USC)

“You cannot beat the patient population or the exposure to excellent learning pathology at Olive View. The best assets of the program are the attendings and other residents - all a pleasure to work with. I did my preliminary year at UCLA-SFVP and could not have been more satisfied with the program.  I would recommend it to anyone.”

 - 2002 Preliminary Graduate (Medical School: UCLA)

“People here have been very friendly, helpful, especially people in the medicine office. A lot of resident autonomy, with right amount of supervision. A lot of opportunity to give presentations, which I like because I need more practice and will certainly do”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UC Davis)

“I am impressed by the very diverse patient population and by the  exciting and rare cases I have seen. This program creates an environment which is extremely friendly and encourages teamwork.  In conclusion, I am extremely happy with my choose in the UCLA-SFVP.  I am impressed  by the faculty's and resident's fund of knowledge.  I am surrounded by energetic and motivated individuals from diverse backgrounds”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UCSF)

“I felt the clinical experience made the program very strong due to an appropriate amount of autonomy.  I certainly appreciate the teaching, the ability to make my own decisions, and I always felt part of the team. I was very pleased with the program as a whole.  Every program has its flaws, but they were minimal and generally insignificant here.  It was exactly where I wanted to be at the end of my formal education and made the challenges of going through undergraduate and medical schools worth it in the end.  I recommend it highly."

 - 2002 Categorical Graduate (Medical School: NYMC)

“Olive View has a great variety of common and uncommon things.  With almost no exceptions, all of the attendings are eager to teach and very approachable.  No program has everything --  Olive View comes very close though.  The patients are kind, very appreciative and have really interesting pathology.  We get to experience other hospitals for their strengths and to see the spectrum of care centers.  The residency directors and administrative staff are very attentive to residents and really work on our behalf.  I am very happy I chose this program.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: UCLA )

“This is the best deal all around! The patients are really appreciate and give a sense of service, the program people are extremely helpful and approachable and the faculty are very caring. I would highly recommend this program for people who care about their learning, patients and learning the humanity behind medicine.”

 - 2002 Preliminary Graduate (Medical School: Harvard)

“Perfect balance between autonomy and guidance on wards makes clinical experience rewarding. Teaching time was limited on wards due to patient load.  But we learned 'by doing' and seeing a diverse patient load.   Abundant time for teaching, reading and learning during out patient months (which is every other month). A very solid internal medicine training program with exposure to diverse pathology at Olive View medical center.  The county experience is rewarding as the patient population in the valley are very grateful and view the intern as their 'primary doctor'.  Unlike other county hospitals, the ancillary services are good (no scut work, no blood draws, etc.)  But most of all. a very friendly and supportive environment to do residency where majority of residents are not overworked and are generally happy to come to work.  Plenty of time to have 'a life' outside of work.  The commute is 30 minutes from the west side (Westwood, Santa Monica), as well as from Hollywood.  Both ways are fortunately against rush hour traffic.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: NYMC)

“This program offers a great balance between inpatient and outpatient experience as well as a fine balance between clinical and academic medicine.  This excellent combination sets the stage for a great learning experience among friendly, competent, and intelligent housestaff and faculty.  I'm very happy with my decision and highly recommend this program.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: Harvard)

“The UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program is an excellent preliminary and internal medicine program.  The program provides the residents with a great deal of autonomy in making decisions regarding patient care and yet supervision is always present and accessible.  The attending and residents are very friendly and approachable.  The didactics are excellent.”

 - 2002 Preliminary Graduate (Medical School: University of Pittsburgh)

“UCLA/San Fernando Valley Program fuses a great deal of autonomy and teamwork into one.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: USC)

“Extremely supportive administrative staff.  Autonomy at Olive View results in rapid learning and a strong sense of satisfaction.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: Harvard)

“I thought the patient population was excellent at Olive View.   The pathology of the patients offered excellent learning opportunities. I enjoyed my residency with UCLA-SFVP.  There was a good mix of ambulatory and inpatient experience with great learning opportunities.  However, there was still enough free time to keep ones sanity.”

 - 2002 Categorical Graduate (Medical School: Temple University)

“As a PGY1 I had good ICU experience. My outpatient experience was excellent. The administrative staff and faculty is incredible. The responsiveness of the program to resident suggestions is outstanding. This is a program that comes through on its expectations. I have absolute confidence that anyone will be happy at the UCLA SFVP.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UC Davis)

“The one year experience I had at Olive View is one that I will certainly remember and treasure. Looking back the training I had in house and in the clinics provided a good balance  between the learning of medicine, the management of a wide variety of medical problems, and being given appropriate responsibility for patient care. It was not only the learning but also the people I had the opportunity to work with that made it that much more enjoyable. Program comes highly recommended”

 - 2002 Preliminary Graduate (Medical School: Harvard)

“This program has lived up to the expectations I placed on it before entering.  I would recommend this program to anyone interested in learning a broad base of internal medicine in a great learning environment that is created through a high level of autonomy with excellent attendings and residents as advisors.  This provides a perfect balance of great cases, intelligent and helpful attendings, and appropriate inpatient/outpatient medicine experiences.  No other program in Southern California can compare.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: Loma Linda University)

“This program is excellent in terms of training and autonomy.  Program director really cares about the residents and gives a lot of attention to the house staff. Attendings are very good teachers and there is a lot of opportunity to learn and practice medicine.”

 - 2002-03 Resident (Medical School: UC Irvine)

“The UCLA-SFVP is a very well balanced program, both in academics versus community based, and inpatient versus outpatient experience.  I would strongly recommend this program to anyone interested in getting a well rounded education in either a 1 or 3 year experience.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: UCLA)

“UCLA-SFVP residents and attendings are great people to work with; they are good teachers and very caring toward the interns.  I absolutely love the administrative staff.”

 - 2002-03 Intern (Medical School: Chicago Medical School)