Keck School of Medicine of USC

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At the Keck School of Medicine, students are able to establish relationships with faculty members. There were many times when my professors have demonstrated their compassion and interest in my education. One professor would visit all the Multi-Disciplinary Labs (MDLs) on the weekends to see if students had any questions. Another would run review sessions on his own time, at lunch to help us prepare for exams Both faculty and staff are very approachable and wonderful to work with. I especially appreciate their willingness to participate in student community service projects and ideas. As a student I feel as though I am working as a team with the administration, not fighting against them.

Undergrad: UC Santa Cruz
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Favorite LA restaurant: Louise’s Trattoria

Soraya Espinoza,
Class of 2004

Chrisandra Shufelt,
Class of 2004

I thought medical school was going to be similar to my undergraduate education, in which I was “just a number” to most of my professors. My perception changed during my first week at Keck when we were told we are peers with our professors. Another assurance of this was the faculty-sponsored dinners in which we signed up for a faculty mentor and would have monthly dinners at their homes. I was extremely surprised to find out that we, as students, were being welcomed into the homes of our deans and professors. This demonstrated the importance the Keck School of Medicine place on developing and maintaining the well being of their students.

Undergrad: UC Irvine
Hometown: Swansea, Wales, UK
Favorite LA restaurant: Akbar Pasadena

I though medical school would be extremely difficult and that I would have no time for other social activities – I was more than wrong. I have been involved in so many school organizations, spend time with family and friends and still have time for studying.

What makes Keck School of Medicine unique is its diverse student body in a big city setting. Being in a large city like Los Angeles allows you to get away when you need to, yet offers increased opportunities for involvement and a fascinating clinical education during your 3rd and 4th years at LAC+USC Medical Center. Most students get the top three choices for residencies. Many Keck students annually match to competitive specialties such as ophthalmology, ENT, surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, urology, and emergency medicine because of the strength of clinical departments at USC.

Undergrad: Xavier
Hometown: Hawthorne, CA
Favorite LA restaurant: Cheesecake Factory

Dustin Taylor,
Class of 2004

Antonio Beltran,
Class of 2005

Before entering the Keck School of Medicine, I had no idea of what to expect. However, I did prepare myself to enter a very competitive environment. I though that I would have to endure the struggles of medical school all by myself. During the first week of school, however, I quickly learned that his was not the case. With our new curriculum, the mentor group did a wonderful job at creating an optimal, non-competitive environment. Without reservation, I would tell any prospective student that Keck School of Medicine is the place to be. The faculty and staff members continue to be advocates for the students and also provide a positive, healthy environment for academic growth and development.

Undergrad: Stanford
Hometown: Paramount, CA
Favorite LA restaurant: La Fonda Cantina

The Keck/Caltech M.D./Ph.D. program integrates a first rate clinical education with an unparalleled research community. We spend our first two years completing medical coursework, after which we become immersed in our research pursuits. Some work in Pasadena, where Caltech supports basic science and engineering research in everything from biology and chemistry to neural prosthetics and genetic computation, while others stay on the Health Science Campus, working on more medically motivated projects in areas like gene therapy or hormone regulation. After finishing our doctoral degrees, we enter the hospital for clinical rotations and continue with our medical education.

Undergrad: Harvard
Hometown: New York, NY
Favorite LA restaurant: Musso & Frank’s Grill

Dylan Nieman,
Class of 2007