Welcome Letter
Dear prospective applicant:
Welcome to the Department of Pediatrics at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center!
The unique program at Harbor-UCLA offers you the opportunity to obtain outstanding clinical training in both general and subspecialty pediatric medicine. Our residency program is dedicated to providing residents with hands-on clinical experience in a wide variety of settings, with daily clinical teaching by academic faculty and fellows committed to our underserved community. The atmosphere is friendly and supportive, and the physicians and staff in the department are genuinely grateful for being able to provide comprehensive care to our patient population and to know that they are unified by a common mission. Our faculty and residents advocate for their patients on an individual level while also addressing systemic barriers to care, whether as part of our departmental Advocacy or Diversity Committees, or through championing children’s health on national levels.
What makes Harbor-UCLA Medical Center an exemplary place for learning is its commitment to medical education, advocacy, clinical excellence, and basic science research. While Harbor-UCLA is a county hospital, faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics are responsible for grant funding of  annually from various agencies such as the National Institute of Health under our research organization, The Lundquist Institute of Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA. This commitment to research allows us to provide our patients with state-of-the-art medical care and our residents with endless educational opportunities for learning. Our faculty are passionate about mentorship, whether in research, advocacy, or medical education.
The size of our training program allows the residents and faculty to interact closely and work one-on-one together in all clinical settings. While fellows are present to assist with teaching and patient care, direct responsibility for patient management lies with the residents, allowing for exceptional clinical educational experiences.
Our faculty are devoted to the education of the residents and participate in faculty development to continuously strive for excellence as medical educators. Many faculty have additional formal training and are nationally recognized in medical education, authoring textbooks and curricula, creating national guidelines, and advocating for resident education.
Our graduates pursue careers in all paths of medicine: general pediatric care (private practice or managed care), general academic fellowship training, subspecialty fellowship training, medical education, and public health policy.
We hope we have an opportunity to meet with you to show you our exceptional training program as well as the rest of the medical center. Please feel free to contact any of us in the residency program if you have any questions.
Sylvia Yeh, M.D.
Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Sarah Gustafson, M.D.
Associate Program Director
Maggie Kozman, M.D.
Associate Program Director
Monica Sifuentes, MDVice Chair for Education
Associate Program Director
Pediatric Clerkship DirectorHarbor-UCLA Medical Center
Professor of PediatricsDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Program Highlights
The goal of the program is to offer a balance of scientifically based medical education and practical clinical experience in order to prepare graduates for all possible career options. Residents may elect to pursue careers in general pediatric practice, pediatric subspecialty practice, academic medicine, and public health. Patient care is provided in a variety of settings that include general and subspecialty outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, newborn nursery, and the pediatric emergency department.
Broad Clinical Experience
Teaching Program
Research Program
Teaching Program
Regularly scheduled teaching conferences complement the daily teaching rounds led by the full-time faculty on all the inpatient services.
Recent Graduates
Of our recent graduates, about 50% choose general pediatrics and 50% choose a subspecialty.
Resident Wellness Program
The Harbor UCLA pediatric resident wellness program was established in 2017 by Kelly Callahan, MD, F.A.A.P., and Lauren Maltby, Ph.D., ABPP. It is currently run by the residents with a faculty mentor and liason. The pediatric wellness program seeks to maintain and support wellness in all aspects of a pediatric resident’s life.
The goal of the program is:
- Provide resources and support regarding the importance of a healthy diet, exercise, and work-life strategies.
- Provide education around wellness including recognizing burnout, leadership, feedback and meditation.
- All of the housestaff go on a yearly retreat focusing on life after residency as well as work life balance while attendings and fellows run the hospital.
- The Harbor-UCLA Pediatric Wellness Program wishes to support our pediatric resident physicians with strategies to promote wellbeing in and out of the hospital through all three years of training.
Salary & Benefits
Financial Support
Approximate annual salaries (effective October 1, 2024)
PGY 1: $72,301.08*
PGY 2: $74,209.32*
PGY 3: $78,064.92*
*Plus benefits (medical, dental, and pension fund)
More on Salary and Benefits
Vacation
4 weeks every year
Professional Leave
Professional leave may be taken as leave of absence not to exceed limits determined by the department.
Parental Leave
Residents may take sick leave and vacation as parental leave. In compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, 12 weeks of unpaid leave may be taken as parental leave or to provide care for children, parents, or close relatives. However, this may affect the overall duration of the residency training necessary to meet the requirements of the Special Requirements of the Essentials of Accredited Residencies, specialty boards and/or State licensure.
Sick Leave
Eight days/year accumulated at rate of one per month to a maximum of eight.
Professional Liability Coverage
The County of Los Angeles insures all employees against liability for bodily injury and property damage resulting from their actions in their course of duty. This includes malpractice insurance for members of the housestaff when they are acting in their official capacity as an employee of Los Angeles County. This coverage also includes legal defense and protection against awards from claims reported or filed after the completion of graduate medical education if the alleged acts or omissions of the housestaff are within the scope of the education program.
Hospital and Health Insurance
Several health insurance programs, which include both indemnity plans and HMO’s, are available as Los Angeles County employees. In general, there is no cost to housestaff for individual health insurance, but there are monthly premiums if a spouse or family members are included in the coverage. Dental insurance is also available as a County employee.
Living Quarters
There is adequate housing in the immediate vicinity of the hospital at reasonable cost.
Meals
Meals are provided to the housestaff members without cost while on duty or on call and available for duty.
Uniforms
Uniforms are furnished and laundered by the hospital without charge to the housestaff.
Disability Insurance
The County of Los Angeles provides long term disability insurance, administered through the JCIR. This coverage is automatic and is provided at no cost to County employed residents who are on the County payroll as of July 1st. This policy provides group and individual coverage with no sign up requirements, plus conversion rights.
Application Procedure
Applications completed and accepted to Harbor-UCLA! Welcome Class of 2027!
PL-1 Application Procedures
First year pediatric trainees are selected through the National Residents Matching Program. Application for an NRMP code must be made through the NRMP. For a residency application to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, applicants must use the ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) program. All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, USMLE Part I Board Scores and Part II (COMLEX Step I and II for DO applicants), transcripts, and a medical student performance evaluation (MSPE). International Medical Graduates must submit via ERAS a valid ECFMG certificate in addition to the applicable documents listed.
The deadline for receiving applications is November 25. Interviews are granted by invitation only. Be sure to include a correct and current email address in your ERAS application, and check your email often during the recruitment season. It is the policy of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center not to sponsor H-1 visas.