UCLA-Kern Psychiatry

[ari202]

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Hi,
Can anyone give me some recent opinions on UCLA-Kern? I don't mind living in Bakersfield as I am looking for a safe quiet family friendly city since I plan on expanding my family in coming years.

They gave me an interview next month. I don't know if I should take it though as I have read some old posts on this forum indicating that its not a program to be considered. I don't have very many local options.

Thanks

 

[ari202]

Please let me know as I have to take a day off of my rotation to go here. If you feel like you don't want to post it publicly, you can message me as well.

 

[psych md jd]

1. Kern has lots of faculty openings:

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/car...itions-ucla-kern-psychiatry-residency-program​

"Openings include General Psychiatry Training Director and faculty positions in Geriatric Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Mood Disorders clinic, ACT, and general adult outpatient psychiatry."​

2. Bakersfield as a safe, quiet, family friendly city??

http://www.yelp.com/topic/los-angeles-bakersfield-good-place-to-live​

I'd rank both SFV and Harbor higher than Kern because they have more established programs and are closer to the mother institution.

 

[notdeadyet]

I'd rank both SFV and Harbor higher than Kern because they have more established programs and are closer to the mother institution.

UCLA Harbor is a required training site of UCLA's main program (NPI). There is also a program where you can do your residency at NPI but spend your first year at Harbor. They are completely different animals that you could argue are as different as they are similar. If you are a Harbor resident, you can do electives at NPI, but your main training is in an excellent county environment (much less so tertiary care); if you are an NPI resident, you can do electives at Harbor, but your main training is a tertiary care center (without its own county experience).

My point is that you could make an excellent case for choosing UCLA Harbor above UCLA NPI and vice versa. UCLA SFV and UCLA Kern are much more standalone programs and isolated by more than geography.

 

[notdeadyet]

I don't mind living in Bakersfield as I am looking for a safe quiet family friendly city since I plan on expanding my family in coming years.

They gave me an interview next month. I don't know if I should take it though as I have read some old posts on this forum indicating that its not a program to be considered.

I have no idea what it means to be a program not to be considered. Even in California, you don't hear much about Kern. But then again, you don't hear much about UCI, USC, LLU, CPMC, etc. You tend to hear about the great and the malignant programs. I wouldn't rule out a program you don't hear much about if it otherwise has what you're looking for. Kern has been around a while, so the fact that it doesn't have a bad reputation isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but it'd give me more confidence than some of the brand new programs springing up.

Then again, I'm with psych jd md on the location thing. Bakersfield is pretty much the opposite of what most people would consider a "safe quiet family friendly city." It's a city, but I wouldn't apply the other three adjectives.

 

[ari202]

Bakersfield is not great if you want to do things, but I am sure you can find family oriented parts of town where I don't have to worry about my kids safety. I know that drug use is quite prevalent due tot he poverty of the city, but their has to be more upscale parts of town where I would be able to stay with my family.

 

[ari202]

UCLA SFV seems to me at least, a nicer program in the sense that they have more AMG's and the area is better (but not a huge issue). But I also felt it was more chill and faculty is more reputed. IDK tho this could all be my perception. I still haven't interviewed at either place but we'll see.

 

[enoughsaid12]

As a city, bakersfield has plenty of safe, family friendly places to live. It isn't the most exciting places in the world but that has its advantages. The cost of living is low, you could live quite well on a residents salary. You will also be a big fish, there are tons of physicians and psychiatrists in places like LA and San Francisco, but in Bakersfield, you feel more important (yes vain, but true). Its a 1.5 hour drive to LA if you crave a good time.

 

[psych md jd]

Other things to consider:

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2013/04/24/polluted-cities/index.html

Valley Fever is endemic. "Valley Fever is and will always be in the soil in Kern County."

 

[as90]

Other things to consider:

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2013/04/24/polluted-cities/index.html

Valley Fever is endemic. "Valley Fever is and will always be in the soil in Kern County."

LOL at this post. I'm sorry I'm just in tears after reading this! 🙂 You've made my day.

 

[ranitidine4]

Anybody have any recent updates on this place? I'm bumping this thread in case anyone knows anything.

 

[Not_a_psychic]

I interviewed there this past Match season. They were very open and up front about the fact that they were on Administrative Probation (which is different from Academic Probation). I really enjoyed all of my interactions with the current residents. The new PD was very personable as well. I would've ranked it higher, but Bakersfield is awful (hot, boring, lots of sketchy areas neighborhoods with gang activity), the cafeteria is the absolute worst I've ever seen in a hospital, and moonlighting only pays $35-45/hour. Oh yea, and to top it off, their EMR was basically a clone of the CPRS you see at the VA.

If you're desperate to stay in California, Kern is your place. You can still tell people you do residency in "Southern California" and your diploma will say UCLA on it (the folders they hand out during the interview say UCLA across the top with gold lettering and no mention of Kern or Bakersfield).

 

[ranitidine4]

I interviewed there this past Match season. They were very open and up front about the fact that they were on Administrative Probation (which is different from Academic Probation). I really enjoyed all of my interactions with the current residents. The new PD was very personable as well. I would've ranked it higher, but Bakersfield is awful (hot, boring, lots of sketchy areas neighborhoods with gang activity), the cafeteria is the absolute worst I've ever seen in a hospital, and moonlighting only pays $35-45/hour. Oh yea, and to top it off, their EMR was basically a clone of the CPRS you see at the VA.

If you're desperate to stay in California, Kern is your place. You can still tell people you do residency in "Southern California" and your diploma will say UCLA on it (the folders they hand out during the interview say UCLA across the top with gold lettering and no mention of Kern or Bakersfield).

Thanks...how is the schedule in terms of workload? Do they have a cap for the number of pts seen?