UC IRVINE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

CLASS OF ’20 WELCOME GUIDE

Dear Incoming Students,

We are SO excited to be welcoming you to the first year class of the UC Irvine School of Medicine! As it was not too long ago that we found ourselves in your shoes, we know just how difficult it is to find your bearings in a new environment. For this reason, the current students and faculty at UCI have banded together to create the UCI SOM Welcome Guide. We hope that this student-initiative will prove useful in answering all of the little logistical questions that come up as you take your first concrete steps into the world of medicine.

This guide should not only serve as a resource as you begin to look for housing in the area and learn about the curriculum that you will be taking part in, but also serve as a reference throughout the year for some of the best “things to do” in and around Irvine as you find yourself with random bits of free time throughout the year. Want to get to know your classmates better? Check out the dining section and invite someone new out for a bite to eat. Need to clear your mind from school a little? Check out the local getaways section to see where upperclassmen like to go for stay-cations. Have no idea how to get involved on campus? Check out the Student Life section to get in contact with the interest groups and organizations that stand out to you. It is our hope that when you get to UCI, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running J.

As previously mentioned, this guide is a compilation of thoughts, ideas, and expertise from all throughout UCI SOM. The administrative staff and your future classmates and colleagues have all contributed to making this guide possible. It is an incredible honor to be your first introduction to our school, and we can’t wait to welcome you to our Anteater Family in the Fall.

Until Then,

Bima, Megan, and Pejman

Dear Students,

Welcome and once again congratulations. I am delighted you will be joining us and look forward to working with you during your tenure as a medical student at UC Irvine. We hope UC Irvine may become your "home away from home" and that you find this to be a place where you can not only learn, but also continue to develop the unique characteristics that brought you here in the first place. You will be taking your medical school journey with some amazing individuals, so enjoy the ride!

Like the students that have come together to make this guide, I encourage you to become part of our community and get involved in activities that you enjoy. Being a medical student will be your “full time job” for the next four years but when not studying there are many student activities that will help you stay balanced and fit. There are activities for everyone ranging from our more artistic groups such as PLEXUS or the UC MEDleys to our athletic pursuits— whether they be intramural or interschool rivalries in basketball, flag football or soccer. Exploring your medical and non-medical affinities is a great way to get involved and get to know your classmates.

To introduce you to our medical school community our first year students have developed this Welcome Guide to help you navigate your way through getting settled at UC Irvine. They will share with you their gems on where to shop, bike, live, etc. They have worked hard on this guide during breaks and in between studying, so I sincerely hope you benefit from it. Next year bring your ideas for this reference; share what you have learned this year so that others can benefit from your experience.

The Admissions team is here to help you as we approach matriculation. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time!

Take Care,

Ellena Peterson. Ph.D. Associate Dean of Admissions, School of Medicine Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section One: Getting Around UCI SOM ...... 5-16 Driving and Parking on Campus ...... 6 The Anteater Express ...... 8 Biking to Campus ...... 10 UCI Campus ...... 12 Section Two: Things to Do In Irvine ...... 17-64 The Dining Guide ...... 17 Grocery Store Guide ...... 29 Adventures and Activities ...... 32 The ARC ...... 46 Day Getaways & Staycations ...... 59 Section Three: Housing Options ...... 65-78 On Campus Housing ...... 66 Off Campus Housing ...... 70 Section Four: Student Life ...... 80-108 Orientation ...... 81 Free Clinics at UCI SOM ...... 86 Interclinic Council ...... 87 OCNEP ...... 87 Crescent Clinic ...... 88 Flying Samaritans ...... 89 An Lánh Free Clinic ...... 90 UCI Outreach Clinic ...... 91 Student Involvement and Activities ...... 92 Interest Groups ...... 92 Student Organizations ...... 95 Elective Classes ...... 99 UCI SOM Traditions & Activities ...... 101 LGBTQIA Resources ...... 107 Intramural Sports ...... 108 Section Five: Curriculum ...... 109-124 Year One Overview ...... 110 Interactive Learning/Flipped Classroom ...... 112 Ultrasound Curriculum ...... 113 International Ultrasound Initiative - Summer Trips ...... 114 Research Opportunities ...... 119 Dual Degrees ...... 120 Academic Advice ...... 123 Section Six: Clinical Exposure ...... 125-132 Clinical Foundations ...... 126 Clinical Skills Center ...... 128 Simulation Center ...... 129 Clinical Clerkship ...... 130 Acknowledgements ...... 133

Section 1: Getting Around UCISOM

Contributing Authors:

Acknowledgements: Lauren Rosario, MS3 Adam Kalawi, MS3 Mahta Baghoolizadeh, MS3 Christopher Vo, MS3

Nam Thai Dhruba MS2 Banerjee MS2

Warning: The Following Content May Prove To Be Very Useful Driving & Parking at UCI

Time is of the essence in medical school and driving to campus is a great way to maximize your time in medical school. You can hop into your car and drive to the UCI Medical Center, research, grocery store, the ARC, etc. after just a short walk to the parking lot (instead of having to bike/shuttle back to your apartment before making the trip towards your ultimate destination).

The parking permit you will need for the medical campus is a $70, “S Zone Commuter” permit for “Zone 2” (below is a map of the different zones on campus). This pass will allow you to park in lots 82, 83, 84, 35, ARC, and CT. If you are feeling extra fancy or extra MS1 events where you need a car pressed for time, permits for AR Reserved (or a friend that has one): spots ($90) are available for a parking spots • PACE located a little closer to campus. However, an • Clinical Experience at UCIMC AR permit is usually never necessary. Additionally, all day on weekends and after 5pm on Monday-Friday, all “S Zone Commuter” permits are able to park in AR Reserved spots. After 3pm on Monday-Friday, all “S Zone Commuter” permits will be able to park in all S Zone parking lots (and not just “Zone 2”).

With that being said, here are a couple more pro-tips and testimonials on parking: ü “I pay for parking in 6-month stretches so I don't have to keep going back to the (usually very busy) parking office.” ü “Try to buy a parking permit before your first day of class so you're not all trying to buy them on the same day.” ü "Every parking lot on campus has pay-by-space options where you can pay to park there for a day or for a few hours etc.” ü “Nighttime parking in Zone 2 lots is technically only from 5pm-12am I believe. I have never gotten a ticket when I was parked past 12am at school.” ü “Some people park at the Starbucks/office building parking lot on the corner of California and Bison to avoid paying for parking. The lot has signs saying ‘NO UCI Parking.’ People say different things about the risk of getting ticketed if you park there. It is a 10 min walk to the med school.”

If you are interested in purchasing a parking pass, follow the steps below: 1. Get your student id card at the Ant Hill bookstore, where they take your picture. 2. Go online to the parking site and order your permit for Zone 2 parking spaces 3. Pick up your permit at one of several terminals located around campus

For more information, visit https://www.parking.uci.edu/permits/studentpermits.cfm

Anteater Express

If you live close to campus, we highly suggest you download the Anteater Express app (available for apple & android) or check out the Anteater Express’ website for more information.

In short, the Anteater Express is a FREE** UCI-run shuttle system that circles a variety of loops around campus, Irvine, and Newport (seasonally). This is a great option for anyone that regularly bikes/walks but don’t want to get their clothes sweaty on Clinical Foundation days (usually every Tuesdays and Thursdays). Additionally, there are bike About 5% of the MS1 class take the racks on the Anteater Express if you ever Anteater Express to get to campus. need to take a bike wherever you are going! Buses come at fairly regular intervals on weekdays, but are unavailable on weekends.

The only route that has stops at the medical school campus is the M Line. The route itself circles the entire UCI campus and takes 30 minutes each cycle. If you live on-campus on the east side, taking this route will get you to the medical school campus within 20 minutes (although plan to leave 30 minutes beforehand just in case). Sometimes, the shuttle can be overcrowded and you may need to wait for the next shuttle to arrive. There are buses that come by every 5 minutes and you can track accurate arrival times using the Anteater Express app. Taking the shuttle as an on-campus resident will allow you to save on purchasing a parking permit and you can still qualify for some free parking permits through the Sustainable Transportation Program!

If you want to talk to someone that has used the Anteater Express, just feel free to e-mail Nam Thai, Class of 2019, at [email protected].

**Some of the longer routes that leave UCI may have fares

Sustainable Transportation

Program

Students living in UCI housing who have a car but are willing to avoid using it can sign up for the Sustainable Transportation program. This way you won’t have to buy the monthly permit, but you will have a few passes on hand for rainy-days and exam mornings. With this program you can get unlimited weekend and evening passes to park on campus and a limited number of day-time passes. It takes 2-3 business days for your registration to get through, but as long as you meet the requirements you can get into the program. Find out more at: https://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/incentives/graduate.cfm Unfortunately, this perk is only available to students in on-campus housing.

Biking to Campus

UCI is a great campus for people at all levels to bike! There are bike lanes on About 15% of the MS1 class take the the large walkways on campus as well as Anteater Express to get to campus. on the main streets around campus. The campus terrain has some hills that Up to 30% bike, but occasionally use other occasionally put the quadriceps to work, forms of transportation but overall, biking around UCI is not challenging. Biking from the farthest corner of campus to the medical school takes about 15 minutes, so if you bike from on-campus housing to class, you can expect it to be a shorter ride. For those of you worried about having your expensive road bike stolen, be happy to know that Irvine has been rated the safest city in the United States for ten years in a row! But be smart and still lock your bikes, as there are bike racks all around the med school campus for you to do so. Also, always wear a helmet when you bike!

If you are worried about finding time to exercise while in medical school, consider biking to class! It is possible to not have a car, but I would recommend having a backup plan for days when it rains or when you need to wear professional attire (at least once a week). A great backup plan is UCI’s bus system, the Anteater Express. It stops at all of the on-campus housing locations, as well as a few off-campus locations around Newport Beach (seasonally) and Irvine. An additional perk of biking to campus is UCI’s Sustainability Program. If you live on-campus and bike to class, you can sign up for 50 free all day parking passes, and 50 free night and weekend passes (Students often use these parking passes as their backup plans!).

There is a bike shop on campus called “Bike Religion” for anyone looking to buy a new bike or accessories, inflate tires, or get repairs done (405 W Peltason, Irvine, CA 92617). Also, if any of you are interested in biking outside of just getting to class, there is a cycling club at UCI for bikers at all levels.

Oh, the places you’ll go! HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS

Medical Education Building (aka “Med Ed”) 836 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA 92697

Basement: • Telemed Theatre B001 (AKA Telemed): This place is located right in the middle of the basement floor. Meetings are often held here. • 10 classrooms can be found in the basement and are great places to study at. 1st Floor: • Dean’s offices • Financial Aid • Med Ed Patio: This is the seating just outside of the café. • Med Ed Café: A convenient place to get a quick meal and some coffee between classes 2nd Floor: • Clinical Skills Center: This is where we do all our ultrasound modules, Clinical Foundation modules, and simulation sessions. 3rd Floor: • Colloquium 3070: The center of MedEd, all sorts of meetings are held here. • Student Lounge: This is a place to relax. In this room, there is a TV, pool table, table tennis table, as well as lockers and computers with access to the 3rd floor printer/copier. • Kitchen: This room is connected to the colloquium and adjacent to the student lounge. Communal refrigerators and microwaves can be found here. • The “Gunner” Room (AKA Gun Range): This room is where you can find the blood, tears, and broken dreams of your colleagues. The room is characterized by individual cubicles with concrete walls. • Student Organization Room: This room is located right next to the “Gunner Room” and is another place to study. • Classroom 11 room 3131 (AKA Sunshine Room): This room is located on the other side of the third floor. • Printer/Copy machine: This can be found outside the student lounge. 4th Floor: • Subject of heated debate.

Tamkin Lecture Hall: The first year of medical school begins here

• Tamkin “Main” F110: This is where all MS1 lectures are held. • Tamkin “Pit” Lecture Hall F114: This room has a more “Socratic” layout with theatre seating. Some MS2 classes are held here. • Tamkin “Piano” Conference Room F108: Meetings can be held here. Typically not a study location.

Nelson Lecture Hall: This is where most MS2 lectures are held. It is located in between Med Ed and Tamkin Hall.

Medical Surge II: Anatomy Lab can be found in the basement of this complex. Med-Surge is located adjacent to UCI Health Gottschalk Medical Plaza. To get there, you should start from Tamkin and walk towards the Ayala Science Library and take a left down a flight of stairs prior to the “bridge” that connects the Health Sciences Campus to the Undergraduate Campus. If your view is similar to the red circle, you are on the right track! Undergraduate Campus

Ayala Science Library:

Where the pre-meds study. Or if you’re looking for a change of pace from the Med Ed basement study rooms, this library has a dedicated graduate study room specifically for cool kids like us. Just head up to the front desk, show them your student ID and receive an access card to this beautiful, quiet, two floor study room with huge windows providing lots of natural light, big desks, and comfortable study chairs.

Student Center: This is the “heart” of UCI and where most events occur. There is a food court and some ATMs located here. Though this area is located on the undergraduate campus, many medical students choose to take advantage of the fun and food it provides.

Aldrich Hall: Not important for medical students, but this is where most of the UCI undergraduate administration and services are located.

UCI Bookstore (AKA The Hill): You can purchase many UCI items here as well as some medical school materials.

Anthill Pub & Grille: A fond location of undergraduates and grad students alike.

The “Flag Poles”: This is more of a landmark than anything else. It is located right across the bridge that links the undergraduate campus to the University Center.

Langson Library: Where all the non-science majors study.

Aldrich Park: The undergraduate campus is built around Aldrich Park. You can’t miss it.

Ring Road: All the buildings and facilities on the undergraduate campus can be accessed via a circular path called Ring Road.

Official resources worth looking at:

1. UCI Campus Map (might be useful) 2. UCI Student Handbook (may contain some diagrams) 3. Zotfinder App (very useful for finding new buildings for the first time)

Section 2: Things To Do In Irvine

“Take a break, a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything” – Irish Proverb Contributing Authors:

Acknowledgements: Jess Lin, MS2 Will Minteer, MS2 Jon Lee, MS2 Jamie Miller, MS3 Ryan Gibney, MS3 Lauren Shreve, MS3 Lauren Rosario, MS3 Michael Butler, MS3 Elisa Zhang, MS3

Bima Hasjim, MS2

Brianna Williams, MS2 Dhruba Banerjee, MS2

Alex Anshus, MS2

WARNING:

The following content may cause food comas, extreme class bonding, SWOLL, fun, and relaxation. Proceed with caution.

+ the dining guide Ryan Gibney & Elisa Zhang

“food is everything we are. it's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. it's inseparable from those from the get-go.” Anthony Bourdain

UCI School of Medicine The area surrounding UCI possesses a flourishing dining scene, with an eclectic mix of culinary innovators and cultural staples sure to satisfy anyone’s palette. We’ve put together a few (hundred) of our favorites!

but once in a while you’ll see me at in n out: they make the best fast food hamburgers Thomas Keller Budget Bites How to eat well, without breaking the bank In n Out—The favorite fast food burger of world Sprinkles ice cream/cupcakes—Sprinkles is the cupcake renowned chefs and pretty much every Californian original, serving up decadence in unique flavors that will since the 50’s. blow your mind. Newport is privileged to host their latest—ICE CREAM!! You can stuff a cupcake bottom in a Rooster Café—serving up simple, locally sourced, waffle cone, top it with ice cream, then top it with the breakfast and lunch, which is always on point cupcake hat! Hyperglycemia? Yes!

Blaze Pizza—custom pies at lightning speed. Simple: Cream Pan (Tustin) – a small but jam-packed bakery pick a crust, sauce, cheese, and any number of their known for their award-winning strawberry croissants. You gourmet toppings and chow down. won't be able to eat just one, so pick up a few to go with your Japanese curry from there! Baja Sharkeez—crazy deals everyday: Happy Hour has food for $1-3 and everyday has a special with Avocado Café—Located in downtown Huntington, AC food and a beer for under $10. makes killer smoothie bowls, and as the name says, they Celebrate on of California’s biggest crops—the Avocado. Tandoori Fresh—Halal Indian/Pakistani food that is Gianna would approve fresh, tasty, and really cheap. Special includes an entrée, vegetable, rice, naan, & drink for $9. Black Knight—Located at the Triangle in Costa Mesa, this place is a cool little gastro pub with great atmosphere, and Chipotle—IT’s Chipotle…nuff said!! equally good food. They also serve pizza til 3am out of the Chronic Tacos—Another in the myriad of Cali-Style side window on the weekend. Taco places, Chronic was founded by some local UTC—University Town Center is located across from main guys, and has since exploded. Their Al-Pastor tacos, campus and houses 15 different places to eat on a budget. and breakfast burritos rock. Great place to go when you have a group that can’t decide Jan’s Health Bar—With 2 OC locations, Jan’s kills it on 1 thing to eat. In particular, make sure to check out with amazing salads, bowls, smoothies, juice, and Gogi (Korean BBQ Burritos!), Blaze Pizza (do-it-yourself more. Most of the items are Vegetarian pizza), Slap Fish (great taco Tuesday deals), and friendly/focused so it’s a great option. Mendocino Farms (quality sandwhiches). *New* Halal Guys—If you’ve been to New York and was Stricklands—Located across from the main campus, blessed to have the opportunity to try the Original Halal Strickland’s is an old fashioned Ice Cream Shop— Guys, you will now know why people waited as long 4 nothing more; nothing less. And, they are Damn hours in line when Halal Guys had their grand opening in good at it! 4523 Campus Dr, Irvine, CA 92612 Costa Mesa. Ask for extra white sauce and be careful with the hot sauce! Celebrate Asia no rules. don’t be afraid to do Orange County is a mecca of good, cheap, and amazingly diverse Asian food, due to suburban sprawl + the wide range of Asian immigrants who call OC their home: Indian, Vietnamese, whatever you want. Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese restaurants & bakeries, boba places—OC’s got you covered! cooking doesn’t have rules. I like it KOREAN VIETNAMESE that way. Masaharu Gen Korean BBQ—A staple for large Pho 79—this restaurant reigns king in group get-togethers or days when you’re most people's mind when it comes to Morimoto craving all-you-can-eat protein. Amazing Vietnamese pho (beef noodle selection of meats (beef, seafood, pork, soup). Don't be fooled by the slightly run- chicken), dipping sauces, and side dishes down appearance of this joint... it's one of can be found here. Come hungry leave THE FIRST pho shops to open in America, feeling protein-loaded! and many Vietnamese immigrants claim this as the best, second only to home- Ye Dang—You know it’s authentic when cooked pho of course. all the patrons of this no-frills, mom-and- pop Korean restaurant are all Korean. Trieu Chau—A LEGIT vietnamese Enjoy their compliementary barley tea restaurant noodle house. If you want and banchan, and family-style favorites authentic vietnamese, welp, here it is. Get including kim chi jjigae, Haemul the Pho Xao Thit Bo—basically a Pajeon,and galbi tang. Vietnamese version of Pad See Ew. Make sure you order it dry. DELICIOUS. THAI Brodards—If you're looking for a wide Thai Nakorn—Huge selection of Thai selection of genuine Vietnamese dishes dishes, ranging from your standard Pad outside of the standard go-to pho, Thai to the less common Nad Sod, and Brodards is the place to go. They are coconut-milk steamed catfish that melts in most famous for their grilled pork/shrimp your mouth. Those with low spice spring rolls (which feature a delightful tolerance: ask them to make it less spicy. crunch) but most dishes there are great Great to eat family-style with a variety of and authentic! dishes! JAPANESE CHINESE Santouka –though it’s just a casual ramen Seafood Cove #2—Like dim sum? Then place in the food court of both Mitsuwa go here. Order Shu Mai (pork dumpling), Marketplaces (Costa Mesa and Irvine), it shrimp rice cake, and pick whatever else has a cult following: $8 buys you a bowl of that looks good on the cart as they come hot, carby umami goodness. Pro-tip: go around. Afterall, selecting what you want next door to get black sesame and green is part of the dim sum fun! tea fro yo with cinnamon toast crunch for dessert, or try the mochi. Walk off the Din Tai Fung—a Taiwanese chain with a calories by perusing the aisles for rabid following, famous for their long Japanese grocery items. lines, dimsum, and Shanghai soup dumplings. These two-bite pork Tsuruhashi—order bimbibap in stone pot dumplings are filled with hot brothy (it's like fried rice) and the premium kobe goodness that explode in your mouth boneless short rib. It may seem pricey, when you bite into them. but for the value, we swear it's the best meat you'll ever taste. INDIAN Sushi Imari—a great place if you want to Annapoorna—a great Indian buffet place eat combination rolls with your friends. (15 min from campus) to hit up after an Personal favorite: genius roll. (They put exam with friends to stuff your face silly fried onions on top of a california roll with with endless naan, curry, masala, and a thick brown sauce. Tastes amazing!) gulab. They have a fantastic AYCE lunch Also, to every customer, they give free deal everyday for $10. appetizers on the house.

The Finest Things I just find the Orange County is currently producing some amazing food that rivals top rated chefs world throughout America. This is a short list of some of the higher end fare in the area. Once in a of food very while you deserve to really treat yourself to some gluttonous gourmet goodness. exciting and beautiful Sol Grill—This small little gem, located in True Food—Great spot in Fashion Island everywhere. Newport Beach, serves up simple comfort serving up environmentally conscious food with a spin. It’s intimate atmosphere, fare, in a simple creative manner, all Eric and great staff, make it feel like you are housed in very “organic” space. The having dinner at a friends house. Great name pretty much says it all. Ripert spot for a Date. Gulfstream/Bandera—The Hillstone ARC—#1 new spot in OC. They embrace group (Huston’s) are masters of their a pre 1900’s philosophy when it comes to craft, and these are two of their lesser food and drink. All of their food is cooked known concepts located in Newport. over open wood flame at over 800˚. Their Bandera is a refined Barbeque style Speak-easy-esque bar menu celebrates restaurant with amazing drinks, and even the bold flavors of whisky and gin, with better food. Gulfstream is simple clean some real twists. The food is simply modern cuisine, never failing to deliver. amazing. I don’t even know where to start—The Bacon, salmon, steak, potatoes, 3Thirty3—Newport’s bayside area is a Burgers. Go with a group and splurge to great little hang out spot for the celebrate! sophisticated night out with friends. Great food and wine, also an amazing Playground—Santa Ana’s artist district is a happy hour, all served while you are flourishing revival of an otherwise nestled in big couches relaxing on the forgotten area in Orange County, and the water. Ummm….Yes Please! team at Playground is leading the charge. Decadent, creative food, that is not only Season’s 52—Located at South Coast delicious and fresh, but whimsical and Plaza, this spot is an amazing concept: an inventive. Go for Sunday dinner—it’s ever changing, seasonal, local, fresh pretty much like a no holds barred chef’s menu; prepared so that every dish is menu. MMMMMMMM under 450 calories. The best part, you will walk out stuffed. The food is amazing, Chapter One—Also in the Santa Ana Art and they truly prove that great food can Sector, Chapter One serves up amazing be very good for you. craft cocktails, paired with amazing food. They serve Piranha for God’s sake—how The Cannery—located in the Lido cool is that? They also have a killer Shipyard area, the Cannery is just that— version of chicken and waffles—you can an old fish-packing house that serves check that one out on your own. some hi-brow good chow. Sushi, steak, Fish, it all rocks. The lounge upstairs has Mesa—Just an all around cool spot located oversized couches and a great bar scene. in the Camp, serving up modern cuisine The Dockside patio is also Amazing. and craft cocktails in a crazy awesome And…..they serve a mean brunch. environment. They have a retractable roof, giant fireplaces, and a vine wall Three Seventy Common This spot in inside that brings the outside in, and laguna is serving up modern takes on just makes it feel like nothing you’ve ever about anything you can think of: Foie experienced. Gras, Bone Marrow, Grilled Cheese, and more. Their eclectic take on traditional Mastros—one of the best pieces of grass- cocktails are brilliant. It’s a gem! Just GO! fed, beautiful, bovine goodness you will ever put in your mouth. Start with a The Ranch—across from Disneyland seafood tower, then a Bone in Wagyu (UCIMC) this place is taking cowboy food Ribeye w/ Lobster Mashed Potatoes, and to atmospheric levels. From the 36oz truffle Mac n Cheese, but SAVE some bone in Rib-Eye to the butter popcorn ice room for Butter Cake. Worth every cream—it’s a WOW! Add the company of penny—save $200 from your student loan Master Sommelier, Michael Jordan, and budget and treat yourself June 2nd. you can have the meal of a lifetime.

“tapas is a celebration of life” Latin Flare Jose Andres spice up your world with bold flavors

Baja Fish Taco—California is home to a-bajillion Red O—Critically acclaimed chef, Rick Bayless, taco spots—chipotle, wahoo’s, del taco, blah blah brings his world renowned Mexican concept to blah—but for my money the best Cali Style Tacos Fashion Island, serving up some of the most are Baja Fish Taco. With 5 locations in OC, they amazing food ever to grace a fork. He has studied serve up super fresh food that is super cheap. the culture for decades and brings a traditional hand, to some incredibly modern takes on El Matador—Located in Costa Mesa, Matador Mexican food. The Lamb Colorado is Unreal. The serves up traditional Mexican favorites, and has atmosphere feels like you slipped into the set of an been doing so for 30+ years. This place is always Indiana Jones movie—Just all around Cool. packed with locals, and is really inexpensive for the quality of food. Javiers—With multiple locations around the area, Javier’s is Mexican food elevated to a new level. Taco Mesa—Located in Costa Mesa, Taco Mesa is Using only the finest ingredients, impeccable a more traditional taqueria, serving rarities such preparation and presentation, and an amazing as Birra(goat), Lengua(tounge), and more, all atmosphere, Javier’s wows the diner on every while sticking to their traditional roots. It’s a must. level. I recommend the Crystal Cove location and taking an Uber—strong Margaritas! Taco Rosa—Located about 1 mile from campus on Bonita Canyon Rd, Tia Rosa is the high end Bear Flag Fish Co.—This is the product of Surfers, offering of the creators of Taco Mesa. Serving up who decided one day to go fishing and open a traditional Mexican favorites using the finest taco/burrito shop with about the freshest seafood ingredients. They have a Sunday Brunch you can find. Their Poke is nothing short of AH- consisting of some of the most amazing dishes MAZE-ZING, and the grilled fish burrito is ever: chilaquilles, breakfast burrito, and excellent. Two locations close to school, make this handmade tortillas. a winner in my book. Crystal Cove Promenade, 7972 East Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA 92657 + The Art of The Burger I still love making hamburgers on the grill. I guess whenever I eat them childhood memories come up for me. Bobby Flay

TK Burger—The classic Beach Burger stand Located in Newport Beach, TK never disappoints. Burgers, Fries, chicken sandwiches—they all rock! 2966 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Umami Burger—Umami is located in Costa Mesa, and serves up their unique version of the hamburger. Packed full of G-Protein Coupled Receptor mediated flavor modalities, and funky add-ons, this place is breaking rules when it comes to the traditional burger—and I LIKE IT! 2981 Bristol St Costa Mesa, CA

The Hub—New to Costa Mesa this year, the Hub is a gastro pub, serving up cool elevated bar food, along with some killer beers. A great spot to go and chill after a 4 hour long exam.

Crow Burger—Located in Newport this spot is serving up fresh ground burgers with some amazing toppings and more. The burgers aren’t huge so it’s just the right amount of richness. Their veggie burger, and hangover burger are two of my favorites.

25˚--located in Huntington Beach, this spot also serves up the gourmet burger in a cool loungy atmosphere, as well as some amazing craft cocktails. Their burgers are nothing short of amazing and their shakes and appetizers are equally as good. I highly recommend the bacon wrapped dates and wings.

Beachcomber Cafe—located on the sand in Crystal Cove, the Beachcomber has been a staple for decades. There is usually a long wait, but they give you a pager and you sit on the beach until your table is ready. If you can make it for sunset, it’s the best around!!

Karl Strauss—Located in the South Coast Metro area, Karl Strauss comes to OC from San Diego, brewing up some great beer, and serving up some killer food, that is playful and uses beer to accent the dishes. They have a great happy hour, and constantly change their menu to keep it fresh and seasonal.

Eureka—The closest COOL bar to campus, located at UTC the guys at Eureka serve up killer beer/wine, great food, and have a late night happy hour that rocks! Their goat cheese burger is epic, and the rest of the menu doesn’t disappoint either. You will find yourself here at least once, then come back for more.

Great Maple—New to OC, located at Fashion Island, this spot serves up Rustic American food that is very clean, and very well executed. The Brie Grilled Cheese with Rosemary Truffle Hone is pretty epic. They serve a killer burger too. Turn of the century craft cocktails definitely satisfy. If you stick to an entrée, you can get out for under $20.

+ the sandwich (re)defined “too few people understand a really good sandwich." James Beard

Sessions Sandwiches— C4: Cure for the Common Medocino Farms—2 OC Located in Newport Beach, Deli—house cured meat, locations(one at UTC), and Sessions serves up West homemade everything, a Farm-to-Table mentality, Coast style grinders, using great breakfast. This spot featuring the freshest food only the freshest has it all. made in-house; this place ingredients. The Pulled will blow your mind. The Pork Sammie, the Thai Green Leaf—with two OC Pork Belly Bahn Mi, and Salad, and the Rosemary locations, green leaf is Curry Couscous salad are Parmesean Chips are all serving up the freshest in simply amazing. amazing. salads, sandwiches, and more in a very organic Specialties Sandwiches— Dory Deli—Located in setting. Featuring located across the street Newport Beach, Dory Deli’s reclaimed woods and a from campus, in the UCI sandwiches are unreal; sustainably run model, this research park, this place using all fresh meats made place doesn’t disappoint. does some magic between in house, and the finest 2 slices of bread. ingredients—definitely a Café R & D—Hillstone great addition group nails the take on the Tender Greens— American Café, serving Sandwich/Salad/Soup this Jimmy Johns—brand new at killer sandwiches and place is Awesome!! Fresh, UTC this place serves a salads that are simple, yet healthy food, and a lot of it! solid cheap sammie, plus elegant, and loaded with Located@UTC so super they will deliver until 10pm: flavor. This place is always convenient too! even to MED ED! poppin.

+ up all night no one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep.

Baja Sharkeez—Sunday-Saturday this Rudy’s—The best spot to watch Observatory—Great spot in Costa place is always happening: if you college/nfl football games. With a Mesa for live music—from punk rock have a group of 10 or more, say you retractable roof and great food, this to hip-hop this place is a good time want a Happy Hour Party, and they place is a blast. Get here early if you for all. give you free food and 2-4-1 drinks. want a seat. White House—One of the oldest bars Eureka—Closest cool bar to campus, Mesa—See above for my review on in Laguna Beach, nothing special, just with a late night happy hour, great this spot, but definitely come check a great place to hang out. beer, wine, and atmosphere, this out the late night bar scene here. place is a hit. I feel like I’ve already Really mellow, chill vibe a great spot! Hennesey’s—see above. Like the told you all of this… White House with a different name. Casa—new on the scene in 2014, Sutra—If you like to dance, then this Casa is a hipster’s dream come true. Saddle Ranch—You will ride the bull is your home. Some of the best With live folk and art music, craft at some point in your medical career. national acts in the EDM scene, state cocktails, and great beer, this spot is With locations in Costa Mesa, and of the art light and sound the modern day speak easy! Do it. across from UCIMC, you will spectacular, this place is insane. eventually end up here feeling like Ten—A spin off from the Sutra you can tame the bull—& you will!!! Black Knight—Cool lil hang out spot Group—they also have the great club with great deals. Wednesday nights vibe, expensive drinks, minus the Mutt Lynchs—Breakfast, beers, and is Wine Wednesday: $5/glass wine solid national EDM talent. Fun beach. ThO 3 B’s you need to live a and every 4 gets you a free pizza. nonetheless. happy life. on the water in Newport!

El Ranchito—This place is Taco Blue Beet—Live music and cheap American Junkie—Don’t know what Tuesday starter spot: $5 all you can drinks at one of the oldest bars in this place is going for, thematically eat tacos, and $3 margaritas. Newport. Fun spot. I also know the speaking, but the drinks are cheap guy that plays music here—he’s and it’s a lot of fun. The Stagg Bar/District—the Oldest really good. Bar in Newport. Cool, simple bar— Cassidy’s—A local favorite in nothing fancy, and they like it that Newport Brew Co—Great spot for Newport beach. The quintessential way. happy hour or weekend day dive bar, nothing fancy, just stiff drinking. Solid specials, and they drinks, pool, and a bathroom. They Malarky’s—A great lil Irish bar in brew some pretty damn good beer. do have one of the best burgers in all Newport, with good breakfast, and a of the area—Shhhhh! It’s a secret. good spot to just sit n have a few pints. + dining at the break of dawn “hollandaise, I would like to pour over my head and just rub all over myself. eggs Benedict is genius: it’s eggs covered in eggs. I mean, come on, that person should be the president.” Wylie Dufresne

Side Street—Located in Costa Mesa, Side Street is a cool little breakfast spot that has been serving up the standards their way for 20+ years. A definite local favorite. 1799 Newport Blvd A105, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Harbor House—with several locations around Orange County(usually near a beach), Harbor House serves up great diner classics 24 HOURS a day. This is a critical feature when studying 18 hours a day…You signed up for this!! 34157 Pacific Coast Hwy Dana Point, CA

Sugar Shack—Best Breakfast in OC for as long as I can remember. Located on Main St Huntington Beach, this place serves up simple breakfast/lunch from 6-3 everyday. Great way to start your weekend! 213 1/2 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA

Breadcrumb Ohana Café—Located in Huntington Beach this spot is family owned serving up café style breakfast with a Hawaiian spin. I highly recommend the pancakes and breakfast burrito. 19079 Beach Boulevard, Beach Garfield, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Haute Cakes Café—located in Costa Mesa, Haut Cakes is a hidden gem for breakfast, serving amazing dishes like Mexican benedict, and smoked salmon and eggs, this place is a nice escape from the hectic pace of med school. 1807 Westcliff Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Plums Café—Located in Costa Mesa, Plums takes breakfast to a whole new level, serving high-end entrees, such as Filet and Eggs, Salmon Benedict, and the Dutch Baby Pancakes. Savor this place on weekends you DON’T have a test on Monday.

Old Vine—Located at the Camp, Old Vine Café serves up eclectic food with a bit of traditional Italian influence. There is an incredible attention to detail and homage to traditional techniques and quality ingredients. Breakfast is a real highlight, however, go during the week to avoid long waits.

Eat Chow—With several Newport Locations, this place does breakfast and lunch right. The creators of Haute Cakes Café bring their artisan approach to a larger scale restaurant. Classic California breakfast favorites with a health conscious

Mimosa—Located on Del Mar St. in San Clemente, Mimosa may be one of the best breakfast spots around. With Red Wine Braised Short Rib Benedict, and Crème Brulee French Toast, you might want to skip dinner the night before.

Bayside—Also in the bayside are—hence the very creative name— Bayside delivers amazing food using classical techniques fused with amazing ingredients. They are best known for their Sunday Brunch, featuring items such as Venison and Eggs, Roasted Quail, and amazing Fresh Fish. Also visit their sister restaurant Bistango in Irvine.

+ open your eyes…

+ Coffee Ÿ Juice Ÿ Tea Ÿ More Portola—organic coffee, prepared Cha for Tea—a go to for boba and Banzai Bowl—the best spot for the using lab techniques. Amazing! other yummy snacks. A UCI Fav. Acai(Ah-Sai-Yee) Bowl. It will be jammed packed, but it is worth the Kean— fresh craft coffee and tea Class 302—solid Boba spot with wait. for over 20 years. Hard to beat! some great food as well! Donut Bar—reinventing the donut Newport Coffee Co—delicious 7 Leaves—artisan teas, and one of every day. Flavors like Heath Bar coffee & pastries that rock. the best Boba & coffee spots in OC!! Crunch,Bacon Bacon Maple(yes, 2 A refreshing study spot with a twist. Bacons), and more! NOM NOM!! Alta—a great cup of Java; amazing breakfasts. Family owned. Nekter—blending up some good Side Car—Also a trailblazer in the drinks for the Juice/Smoothie fan. Donut category, with fun takes on Milk & Honey—craft coffees and They have also been known to spawn classics and inventive combos; this teas; fresh, healthy food. Good for the occasional Acai Bowl addiction. place is a winner! yer soul! Pressed Juicery—Fresh and clean 85˚C Bakery—serving up amazing Euro Café—amazing coffee, juices, healthy frozen treats: a Boba and some of the greatest crepes, and sandwiches in a welcome addition to the area. baked goods around. An OC gem. quaint setting.

+ the pizza π & more …

“believe it or not; americans eat 75 acres of pizza a day”

Cruisers Pizza—new to the Pizzeria Ortica—Pizza on a whole Cucina Enoteca—with 2 locations Newport Peninsula, Cruisers new level… Ortica is a neuvo Italian opened in 2014 close to campus, serves up gourmet pizza, killer Pizza place serving some amazing Enoteca is taking traditional Italian beer, and a great vibe. Awesome items like Guancale-Arrugula-Ricotta food and standing it on it’s head. spot to watch a game with friends. pizza, & Braised Lamb Parpadalle! With old world favorites, fused with new world style and Original Pizza—Located in Pizzeria Mozza—I have a great Idea! ingredients, this spot is one to Newport Beach this spot, is as it Let’s take a world-renowned Italian watch in OC. says—ORIGINAL Pizza. Using chef (Mario Batali) and a first class goliath 50 year-old cast iron bakery owner (Nancy Silverton) and Ginas Pizza—pizza and Italian ovens, and hand tossing the make a pizza joint. Result: the most recipes passed down from Mama dough every day, this spot serves decadent pizza you can eat. Just GO! Gina. Great food and an OC up good old fashioned pizza. favorite. Sabatino’s—Located in the Lido Mama D’s—the best service you Shipyard in Newport, This old world BJ’S Pizza—great spot for a huge will ever have at a restaurant. The Chicago Italian spot serves the best groups. Gourmet pizzas, food, and food is also pretty fantastic: family Sausage you will ever eat. I repeat: beer. Many locations around OC style Italian food, plain and the best sausage—which happens to that never disappoint. simple. TRY the ravioli!! be stuffed with mozzarella and goat cheese—you WILL EVER EAT. OK I am done here.

The Grocery Store Guide By: Elisa Zhang

Eating out is great, but sometimes you have to give your wallet and your waistline a break. Check out these student-approved grocery stores for pantry staples and hot deli foods.

Wholesome Choice 18040 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

A UCI student favorite. Wholesome Choice is 10 minutes from the med school and includes a wide variety of Persian groceries, as well as many Asian grocery staples. It is the cheapest place for most produce and fruits (with a huge variety too), and you also get a 5% discount if you show them your UCI student ID! Other student favorites: Persian and Indian hot foods and soups for a quick weekday lunch or dinner; bulk nuts, dates, dried fruits and roasted chickpeas for study snacks; raw meats and a seafood section (no pork though), and Sangak, a piping hot 3-foot long flatbread for less than $3.

Trader Joe’s (University Town Center) 4225 Campus Dr, Irvine CA 92612

Trader Joe’s is 5 minutes from the med school and filled with reasonably priced essentials for the busy student. Best values for no-cook meals and snacks: bananas (0.19/each), nutritious and delicious pre-made salads, wraps, and sushi ($4-$5) for quick weekday lunches, microwaveable brussel sprouts for a hot dinner, ground coffee, and Irish breakfast tea (70 sachets for <$3). For those who want to do minimal cooking, check out their pre- washed, pre-trimmed veggies for quick stir- fries, bagged salad greens for DIY salads, delicious boxed soups (Red Pepper and Roasted Tomato is a personal favorite) and huge variety of frozen entrees.

Albertson’s 4541 Campus Dr. Irvine, CA 92614

Occasionally has good deals, but overall not a great band for your buck. Very close to campus and the ARC, as well as Verano Place/Palo Verde/VDC apartments.

Pavilion’s (aka Safeway for all you NorCal folk) 2660 San Miguel Dr., Newport Coast, CA 92660 21181 Newport Coast Dr., Newport Coast, CA, 92657

Close to campus and convenient, especially for those who live in UCI grad housing (Verano Place/Palo Verde/VDC apartments) or Irvine Company (Turtle Ridge/The Bays) apartment complexes.

H-Mart 2600 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606

Another ethnic grocery store (Korean) ~10-15 min from campus in the Diamond Jamboree plaza that has great values on produce, especially Asian vegetables like gai lan. Offers many Korean and Asian ingredients for your Asian cookery needs. To-go sushi and Korean lunch items are also a hit.

99 Ranch 15333 Culver Dr., Irvine, CA 92604

Chinese grocery store ~15 min from campus that also has great values on produce and offers a more complete set of Chinese and Asian sauces, dips, and spices for all your Asian cookery needs.

Sprouts 3775 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92606

Check out their weekly ads for specials on produce, poultry, meats, and bulk nuts/trail mix/dried fruits. Great place to shop for raw meats, and great place for <$5 deli sandwiches as well!

Irvine Farmer’s Market (Saturday mornings 8am-12pm) 5001 Newport Coast Dr., Irvine, CA 92603)

A great Sat morning activity—come peruse the seasonal and local produce in this open air market, enjoy some free veggie/fruit/tamale/donut samples and live reggae music, cross a couple of things off your grocery list, and buy some sweet treats or lunch items. Standouts include the avocado vendor, French bread and macarons, local berries, and kettle corn.

Adventures & Activities

When you’re not buried under books studying in MedEd or the beautiful Newport public library, there are countless fun There is a lot of culture in Irvine, go adventures to be had in Irvine and the discover it! MS1 is easier than what surrounding cities. While Irvine proper can everyone makes it out to be. You will often sound a bit like suburbia, it has a lot of work hard, but it’s doable. There is a cliff jumping spot in Corona del Mar! surprising traits to offer, and the surrounding - William Minteer, Class of 2019 cities like Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Newport and Laguna Beach (just to name a few), always provide fun and some amazing nightlife.

Beaches & Water Sports Let’s be real, you just can’t beat the weather in Southern California. While any of your friends on the East Coast are stuck in five feet of snow, you’ll be lounging on the beach, or for the more determined folk, studying there. Get ready to talk beaches people, someone grab the sunscreen. Each beach has a different vibe, with beautiful sun, sand and, waves. Here are just a few of our favorite beaches and lots of activities to do there. Just like that perfect first cliché date, enjoy that long walk on the beach and watch the sunset. The beaches near Irvine are great for walking, hiking, or running, frisbee, swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and cliff diving.

Crystal Cove

With great beaches, tide pools, and hiking, Crystal Cove is a gorgeous area to hang out and relax. Unfortunately, this is one beach that requires you to pay for parking and it will cost you a pretty penny, at $15 a pop for all day. However, a year pass is available for $195 and is good at any of the CA State Beach Parks. In addition, if you eat at the BeachComber (highly recommend for the ambiance, atmosphere and delicious food), they will validate your parking ticket. Newport Beach

Off of the Newport Peninsula this long stretch of beach has great food, bars, and the beautiful Balboa Pier. Lots of free street and metered parking along the peninsula will put you within walking distance of any pier of the beach. These beaches have tons of volleyball courts along the stretch if team sports and getting sandy is your thing.

Corona Del Mar State Beach

This beach has both free street on PCH and metered parking right up next to the beach. At low tide, there is cliff that can be reached and there is a little known tradition amongst some UCI SOM Big Sib-Little Sib pairings to go cliff diving after the first exam of the year! This beach also has tons of first come, first serve fire pits, so be sure to pick up the s’mores ingredients on the way. The smaller beach area off to the side, Pirate’s Cove, is perfect for a smaller get away and has great bouldering for the adventurous types. Plus, they allow you to bring dogs, so, winning!

Huntington Beach

Another great dog beach! It’s also the home of the So Cal Corgi Beach Day, which occurs a few times a year. This event includes hundreds of corgis dressed up in costumes. It is AMAZING. This beach has one of the longest piers on the West Coast, paralleled by tons of volleyball courts, and juts right off the town. If you love surfing, this is the place to do it, as Huntington Beach is well known for it’s epic waves and you’ll see the best at next years US Surf Open. Laguna Beach

Main Beach – the “main” beach at Laguna. A great place to enjoy outdoor basketball, volleyball, and shopping. You’ll know you are at the right place when you see the iconic white lifeguard tower.

Tenth street (aka “1000 steps”) – the hidden gem of Laguna Beach. Venture down the steep steps to one of the most beautiful beaches Laguna has to offer. Beware: parking can be scarce.

Shaw’s Cove - This little beach is quiet, with gorgeous sand and is the perfect spot to snorkel or dive. Be sure to check the visibility and surge (via simple google search) before you go!

Tablerock beach – this beach is known for spectacular views. Careful: there are PLENTY of rocks here and swimming can get dangerous.

Salt Creek – a great beach for BBQs/picnics, playing basketball, and rolling down a big, grassy hill J

Victoria beach – explore the mysterious 60-foot tower, tide pools, and the circle pool that fills with seawater during high tide!

For more adventures in the water sports arena several of our classmates love to Jet Ski, snorkel, kayak, or rent out a boat to head out on the water. • Duffy Boat Rental - Newport Beach • Newport Beach Boat Rental • Newport Aquatic Center • Dana Point Jet Ski • Balboa Water Sports

Orange County Surfing Guide

Newport, Trestles, Huntington, and the Wedge harbor world class waves and are available for your surfing pleasure at UC Irvine. Wave size ranges from ankle biters to 30 foot monsters, averaging in the 3-7 foot range. Trunking was shockingly feasible until late October in 2015, but generally a 3/4 or 4/3 wetsuit will keep you warm between October and May.

Newport beach is the closest, most convenient beach break and has dozens of jetties Newport Beach (plus free street parking). You can usually find a peak to yourself and is a friendly place to learn how to surf. Trestles is THE premier high performance wave of the entire west coast, located 20-25 minutes south of campus in San Onofre. Surfers travel from all over the world to visit that wave. Huntington beach is located 15 minutes north of campus and is home to the US Open of Surfing every summer. This is another friendly place to learn how to surf – UCI’s ARC provide surfing lessons for all levels Vans US Open of Surf at Huntington Beach (http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/outdoor/). Finally, The Wedge, located at the southwest end of the Newport Peninsula and reaches wave heights greater than 30 feet--a terrifying barrel that attracts large crowds on big days. Unless the waves are small, surfing is not recommended here. Grab a sponge and some booties!

Trestles UCI students at Newport Beach, taking a surfing class through the ARC

From Boomers to the Newport Bars to the

Irvine spectrum, there are a lot of things to do in

and around the Irvine area. Grab a group and explore! There are a bunch of fun nooks and crannies waiting to be found. - Bima Hasjim, Class of 2019 Parks & Trails Gorgeous walking, running, and hiking trails, a quick picnic spot, plus mountain biking, and long cycling routes ahead.

Back Bay

10.8 miles of amazing walking, hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. The end point is Newport Dunes, a secluded little bay beach that’s a great place to get away from normal traffic.

Crystal Cove State Beach

A perfect place for hiking, scuba diving, and exploring the tide pools. This gorgeous state park is a protected area with beautiful trails, marine life, and scenery. With multiple trails ranging from three miles to eleven miles, and several camping areas, its perfect for hikers of every experience level. Parking passes are $15 for a day pass. Be sure to check out the El Moro Canyon hikes and specifically the trail known as: The Elevator (Protip: Avoid buying a parking day pass at the state park by parking at Coastal Peak Park for free street parking. This will put you at the top of the hill, and then take the trails down and through Crystal Cove State Park to reach the beach).

Bommer Canyon

This beautiful hiking trial runs all the way through Irvine and you can pick it up within walking distance from campus.

Mason Park

A beautiful park with some of the best sunsets Irvine has to offer. Good for runs, hanging out, picnics, and BBQs.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

Perfect for hikers of every level, this park has great trails and great scenery.

Top of the World Park Bring water, and prep for a steep hike, but the views are worth it. Prepare yourself for the gorgeous sights from the peak.

San Joaquin Bike Trail/San Diego Trail

Easy to pick up right by campus, Irvine has many trails that allow you to go 40+ miles without ever seeing a car, which is great, considering how people in California drive.

San Diego Creek Bikeway

This trail way connects all of Irvine’s Class I and Class II bike lanes, making it the perfect way to combine and create extensive biking loops. Beginning in Newport Beach it meets up with the Back Bay Loop Trail and follows the San Diego Creek, ending near the junction of the 405 and 133 freeways.

A longer list of Orange County’s parks/trails can be found be here.

Camping

If you’re looking for places to take an overnight trip, several of the state parks above offer beautiful, well-maintained campgrounds. Here’s a list of just a few others to check out.

Just outside of Irvine, you’ll find some of the most beautiful state and national parks this country has to offer. Here are just a few of your future classmates’ favorites: Joshua Tree, Red Rocks, Big Bear, Eastern Sierra, Yosemite, Death Valley and Mammoth. Be sure to grab more information over in the “Staycation” section of this guide.

Death Valley Joshua Tree

Snowboarding & Ice skating

If you ever get tired of beach bumming, the mountains are just a couple hours drive away. Head up to Big Bear or Mountain High and hit the slopes for a day or weekend trip. Best however spare a few more hours of driving to visit Eastern Sierras’ gem Mammoth Mountain. It is a world class resort with the highest peak in CA at 11,053 ft. Maybe scope out AirBnB if you have a weekend of non-studying and want to get away with some friends. • Mammoth Mountain • Big Bear • Mountain High

Skate Spectrum Even though the weather might be warm and beautiful, SoCal still has those wintertime activities you love. Ice skating is available at the Irvine Spectrum and for the little tykes, Downtown Disney creates a small skating rink in the winter filled with Disney magic.

Anaheim Ice Rink Since the weather legitimately inhibits natural ice skating here, “The Rinks” is where it’s at. Though it is the official training facility of the Anaheim Ducks, there are public ice skating hours.

Ice Skating at the Irvine Spectrum Anaheim Ice Rink

Golf

Looking to unwind, but adult at the same time? Looking to get some sun, but also improve that handicap? Looking to exercise, but not physically exert yourself? Hit the links! Irvine and the rest of Orange County have the courses for you to work on your bid for the PGA tour. Below is a list of a few: • Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course • Oak Creek Golf Club • Pelican Hill • Tustin Ranch Golf Club

Parks and Resorts

Downtown Disney Grand Californian Hotel

Want the magic of Disney without the ticket entrance? Go hang out in Downtown Disney, featuring great shops, restaurants and a surprisingly cool bar and live music scene. If you’re looking to relax for a bit, check out the Grand California Hotel near the California Adventure Park, it’s great for brunch and a dip at the pool.

Disneyland

The happiest place on Earth, need I say more? Guess what, you live in Irvine now, which makes you a SoCal resident, so bring on the discounted tickets! We can guarantee you that some of your classmates have annual passes! Protip: Check out the World of Color water and light show in California Adventure, it’ll knock your socks off.

First year academics ultimately Medical school is more fun and don't matter that much. Use first way more manageable than you year to have fun, ease into med think. You can absolutely make time for friends and families. school, and do things that you really want to do! Marie-Claire Matsuo, Class of 2018 Allen Yu, Class of 2019 -

Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm (technically Buena Park) – a great theme park to visit if you don’t want to travel far but want to ride a few more high- intensity roller coasters than Disneyland offers. From September to October, Knott’s Berry Farm turns into “Knott’s Scary Farm” – a thrilling, freighting, and team building experience guaranteed to make everlasting, embarrassing memories!

Six Flags Magic Mountain Located in Valencia, right after the grapevine for NorCal drivers making the drive back down to Irvine, Six Flags Magic Mountain holds the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park (19 roller coasters). Its DC Universe themed attractions are their biggest hits.

Great Park Balloon The OC Great park was built at the former location of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. At its completion, the Great Park is estimated to be 2x the size of NY’s Central Park. The Great Park Balloon is the Orange County Great Park’s iconic hot air balloon ride. It holds up to 25 to 30 passengers, and soars 400 feet above the surrounding landscape, serving as a public observation deck with 360° views that spans 40 miles on a clear day.

Balboa Island Head on over to Balboa Island and play tourist in your own backyard! (Protip: Don’t actually be a tourist with other tourists…wait until tourist season ends, as it can get pretty crowded and not super fun when busy.) Once on the island, stroll around, pull a GOB Bluth and see if there really is money in the banana stand, or don’t, but definitely grab a chocolate-covered banana while you’re there. If you’re in the mood, hop on a surrey and take a ride around. If you’d rather enjoy the water, kayaking and paddle boarding on the harbor are also offered from here.

Pelican Hill Resort

Pelican Hill is a beautiful resort up in the hills of Newport with amazing views and a gorgeous pool. It's a great place to go for brunch, or to study with coffee. Usually you can lie out by the pool and go for a swim if it's not too crowded. There is also a great spa when you need a massage after all the time hunched over studying and dissecting.

Montage Hotel

Located in Laguna Beach. Protip: If you turn right after the entrance to the resort there is a small public parking lot. You can walk into the resort lounge and the view from the balcony is amazing.

Shopping and Window Watching Movie Theaters Whether you need retail therapy, Whether it’s Pitch Perfect 2 or the Avengers, have an epic sense of style, or just Irvine’s got the movie theatre hookup to need some new threads for CF, make sure you’re there for that midnight Irvine has you covered. premiere. • Edwards Westpark 8 Fashion Island - collection of luxury boutiques • Edwards Big Newport 6 • Island Cinema and fine dining. • Regal Cinemas • AMC Tustin 14 at the District • AMC Tustin 14 at The District • Irvine Woodbridge 5 Theatre o $2 matinée movies and $3 after 6pm! Usually shows movies that are a few months old, but really, in medical school who has time to see movies right when they come in theaters anyways. • Edwards University Town The District – get your shop and dine on with a Center 6 wide selection of choices at the District. There is o Looking for more the of the indie movie/sundance film vibe, look also a movie theater and a bowling alley. no further. • Triangle Square Cinema

South Coast Plaza – South Coast Plaza is your common mall filled with the usual food court, Enjoy medical school. Study efficiently and enjoy Nordstrom, footlocker, and etc. Located just a your time off. block away from the Segerstorm Center for the Kyle Hersh, Class of 2016 arts makes it a convenient walk for deserts after a musical or Broadway. Irvine Spectrum - Brace yourself people, The Irvine Spectrum mall is so big it has both a Ferris wheel, ice skating rink, and a carousel. Over the years, the Irvine Spectrum has expanded to become one of the largest shopping centers in Orange County. For the kid in all of us, there is also a movie theater, Ferris wheel (aka “Giant Wheel”), carousel, and an ice-skating rink if the season permits.

The Lab Antimall – avoid the basic-ness of normal malls and head to the antimall, a recycled night vision goggle factory turned into a unique collection of restaurants and shops. The Lab also hosts a variety of art events!

Balboa Island –frozen bananas and fun carnival games are just a 5-minute ferry ride away.

Diamond Jamboree – a cool, little center of delicious cuisine, Asian supermarkets, and karaoke!

The Orange Circle (aka Plaza) – walk around and discover the tasty restaurants, bars, and nightlife that the Orange Circle has to offer. Located in Old Town Orange.

Anaheim Packing District – a food court with a twist! Here you can find an eclectic offering of food, drinks, and desserts in a stylish marketplace. Drinks at the Blind Rabbit speakeasy followed by customized popsicles dipped in various toppings at PopBar? YES PLEASE. DAY-GETAWAYS

Long Beach

Queen Mary – take a day tour, enjoy brunch, and explore the rich history of this retired cruise ship.

Aquarium of the Pacific – fish. Sea otters. Sharks. PENGUINS. Enough said.

Nightlife – If you’d like a wild night out but don’t want to travel far, Long Beach has you covered. LB has a little bit of everything: delicious restaurants, chill bars, and wild nightclubs if you really feel like dancing! Tip: Current students recommend hanging out on 2nd street.

Catalina Island (1-hour boat) ride) Catalina offers a plethora of fun activities, including diving, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, zip lining, and biking, to name a few. It is an awesome way to detach yourself from the norms of Southern California. Transportation to Catalina leaves from Long Beach, Newport Beach, or Dana Point.

Big Bear (2 hour drive)

If you’re itching for the snow, Big Bear is a premier destination for snowboarders and skiers alike. Note: You can get a discount on lift tickets through UCI or through local businesses. San Diego (1 – 1.5 hours)

Pacific Beach – a beach town with a lot of restaurants, bars, and outdoor activities. Hotel of choice = Diamond Head Inn. Advice from a classmate: “park your car, leave it, and enjoy the weekend on foot!” San Diego Zoo – one of the best zoos in existence and one of the only zoos in the world where you can see Giant Pandas. Sea World – another main San Diego attraction, geared towards exploring aquatic life. Gaslamp District – known for its shopping, dining, and entertainment. The nightlife here is among the best in Southern California, with memorable bars, pubs, and speakeasies such as the Tipsy Crow and The Hopping Pig. If you’re looking for a really unique experience, we suggest checking out the Noble Experiment, a hidden speakeasy inside of another bar. La Jolla Cove – this is a small, beautiful beach perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and diving. It is not uncommon to see wildlife here during your visit! Coronado Beach – a beautiful San Diego beach known for its glittering, gold flecks in the soft sand. The Hotel Del is a gorgeous hotel (albeit an extremely expensive one) that is associated with this beach. Blacks Beach – a surfing hot spot for locals that also doubles as a nude beach for the senior population. Ocean Beach – has a dog beach and a pier for fishing. As one classmate put it, this is a “hippie area, bring cash.” Padres Baseball and Chargers Football – not feeling the

Angels or Dodgers? What about the LA Rams? No worries, San Diego’s got you covered! Del Mar Race Tracks – when headed to this iconic venue to watch horse races, don’t forget to dress to the nines. Julian, CA (1 hour from SD) – an old mining town with a “very unique charm.” Apple pie here is a must! Los Angeles (1-hour drive)

Hollywood sign – for a spectacular view, you can hike to the Hollywood sign by the Hollyridge trail. The Getty – in addition to exploring this popular museum, the Getty offers beautiful architecture, gardens, and views overlooking LA. Admission to this museum is FREE. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) – one of the largest art museums in the West. Students get a discount with a valid ID. Little Tokyo – the best place in the area to enjoy Japanese culture, cuisine, and shopping. Griffith Observatory – some of the most spectacular views of LA and the vast sky above. Staples Center – a large, sports arena that is the home of the Lakers and Clippers (NBA), Sparks (WNBA), and

Kings (NHL). California Science Center – center for science lovers! This center offers interactive science exhibits, educational films, and of course, the Endeavour. Pantages Theatre – one of the greatest locations for live Broadway musicals. Malibu – a hot spot for surfing and hiking. Advice from an insider: “One Lily’s breakfast burrito will feed you for a whole day. You can surf at county line for a point break or Zuma for a beach break. Solstice canyon is a beautiful hike (or run for the ambitious) with ruins of an old mansion and waterfalls.” Escondido Falls is also a fun hike that has some of the largest waterfalls in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Universal Studios Hollywood – enjoy theme park rides, King Kong 360 3D, and where Hollywood movies are made! Perfect place for you to get lost in imagination and (transiently) forget your upcoming exams.

Six Flags Magic Mountain (Off the 5 freeway in Valencia; way north of LA) – THE best theme park if your mission is to ride the biggest and most intense roller coasters around.

Topanga State Park – 36 miles of trails through the Santa Monica Mountains with fantastic views of the ocean.

Runyon Canyon Park – one of the most popular hiking destinations in LA.

Palm Springs (1.5-hour drive)

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – jump into the World’s largest rotating tramcar and enjoy the journey to the top of the mountain!

Desert Hill/Cabazon Premium Outlets – a large outlet mall with ~200 stores. Nike, Adidas, UnderArmour, Nordstrom Rack, Pac Sun are just to name a few. Cabazon is the perfect way to ease that medical school debt!

Joshua Tree National Park – where the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert meet. This place is for you if you enjoy any of the following: hiking, biking, climbing, bouldering, or wildflower/bird searching. Additionally, this is the perfect spot for stargazing, if you can ignore the coyotes howling nearby… Coachella – is an annual music and arts festival that headlines some of the biggest names in music, as well as emerging artists. Across the grounds, several stages continuously host live music.

Santa Barbara (3-hour drive)

Wine Tasting – Santa Barbara’s Wineries are some of the best in the state. This is a must if you vacation in Santa Barbara.

Yanonali Street – if you don’t want to travel to wineries, Yanonali street is a great alternative. Here you can experience great wine and beer tasting, with live music on the weekends. Suggestion: try the SB Urban Wine Trail!

State Street – a long street filled with small boutiques and mind-blowing dining that runs through the heart of Downtown SB. Experience the crazy nightlife (i.e. bars and clubs) of Santa Barbara on Thursday – Saturday nights.

Hiking – Santa Barbara offers beautiful hikes through the Santa Ynez mountains that overlook the city and ocean below. The challenging hike to Inspiration Point is sure to not disappoint. Don’t forget the fantastic beach hikes as well. Vegas (4-5 hours)

If you must… the answer is yes, you can do Vegas in 24 hours…

The Strip – hotels. Buffets. Casinos, and just a lot of other stuff… you might even marry a future doctor here (the perks/liabilities of going with classmates).

Fremont Street – the second most famous street in Las Vegas. Explore the various casinos, hotels, and enjoy the Fremont Light show! If you’re feeling UP (heh heh) to it, you can also soar above the street on the Slotzilla Zip Line.

Red Rock Canyon – known for its amazing hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Immerse yourself in nature at Nevada’s first National Conservation Area!

Other Casinos

• Pechanga (1.25 hours) • Pala Casino (1.25 hours) • Morongo (1.5 hours) • Chumash (3 hours) • Vegas, of course (4-5 hours)

Eastern Sierra/Mammoth/Bishop/Northern California (6-hour) drive) Some of the most breathtaking views around. Explore nature and wildlife through pretty much every outdoor activity you can think of: hiking, backpacking, climbing, fishing, skiing, and more. If you are more of an appreciator of the urban landscape, downtown San Francisco and Reno are sights to see!

Festivals, Concerts, & Shows

Live Music/Concerts

There are some awesome local areas that offer the chance to hear live music. A couple of your classmate’s fave spots are The Observatory, Blue Beet, The Black Knight, and Wayfarer. Be sure to take advantage of the amazing local talent or maybe go out to support fellow classmates…there are definitely more than a few that have musical talent up their sleeves!

During the summer this spot has the best national acts, and is one of the most Verizon Wireless Amphitheater intimate outdoor theaters you will go to. They often have groupons for lawn seats which are super cheap.

Music Festivals

The SoCal location puts us in close proximity to a lot of the music festivals in the area. The big name options include, Coachella, Burning Man, and Stagecoach. There is a plethora of other options, so scope out this website if festivals are your thing. OC Night Market & Festivals

Tet Festival Attracting over 100,000 patrons from throughout the country and abroad. Visitors are immersed with a vibrant array of traditional Vietnamese foods, live entertainment, festive games, and customs celebrating the New Year.

OC Night Market Occurs two weekends each summer and features over 200 types of food, merchandise, crafts, arts, games, music, and entertainment attractions in one jam-packed weekend of festivities.

The Lantern Festival Includes music, dancing, s’mores and, when the time is right, lighting the sky with paper lanterns.

Night Nation Run A great option to burn off the calories you gained from all of the food festivals! Night Nation Run is the world’s first Running Music Festival. A musical voyage filled with lights, lasers, beats and celebration for the lover of Electric Dance Music. Run, walk, skip or dance your way through this electrifying adventure. Your journey will take you through an illuminated racecourse to multiple DJ stages, each with its own unique exhilarating party, finishing with an explosive main stage after party. Sporting Events

Our very own Anteaters are home to a rising basketball program and top notch baseball and volleyball programs. Professionally, UCI is just 20 minutes from Angel’s stadium and the Duck’s ice arena. If you can make it past LA traffic, Los Angeles has several options for those that bleed Dodger blue and the Staples Center is home to the Lakers and Clippers. A few hours south reside the San Diego Chargers.

Also, don’t forget, Fall of 2016 also marks the return of the Los Angeles Rams to southern California!

Anaheim Angels Baseball Los Angeles Rams

Anaheim Ducks

Staples Center – Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers

UC Irvine, ZOT!

Los Angeles Dodgers Study Spaces

MedEd can get a tad claustrophobic at times, so there are some other places you can turn to for studying. One place that many students love is the Newport Public Library. Get yourself a library card, head on up to the 2nd floor, and snag a seat at one of the desks that gives glimpses of the ocean. Super helpful when you’re sick of studying but want to remind yourself that you’re darn lucky to be in medical school in such a beautiful place. Make sure to check the website for hours because they don’t stay open very late on the weekend On-campus options

UCI SOM’s Medical Education Building (AKA Med Ed)

On-campus studiers will get to know these walls really well. The small café on the patio can fuel those mid-day cravings.

Langson Library Situated right across Gateway Study Center. A great way to get some exercise and a good excuse to walk across beautiful Aldrich Park.

Francisco J. Ayala Science Library (AKA Sci Li) A nostalgic option for UCI Alumni. There is a room dedicated to graduate students to help

filter out the noisy undergraduates. Ask the front desk for details Gateway Study Center When the UCI campus was first born, Gateway was the main cafeteria as pictured to the left. Now a converted study center, the atmosphere inside is much different as you can imagine! Public Libraries

Newport Beach Public Library A UCI SOM student favorite. Has a fantastic learning Sherman Library and Gardens at Corona Del Mar environment and outside seating to catch some Vitamin D. A small café is located inside to keep you going.

Irvine Heritage Park

Irvine University Park Library

Coffee Shops Proper caffeination is key to medical school survival. While we can’t yet hook up a coffee IV directly into your median cubital vein, the following suggestions will keep you happy and awake through those long days of studying. (See the dining guide for more suggestions/details).

Portola Coffee Lab Prepare your hipster coffee senses and take a deep Alta Coffee Shop sip of this epically roasted coffee or espresso with two locations nearby in Costa Mesa and Orange. This cute little coffee shop on Newport Peninsula offers great coffee, brunch and a hip atmosphere. Protip: Bring your own mug to keep there, they’ll wash it for you and give you a discount.

Kean Coffee

This cute little coffee shop on Newport Peninsula offers great coffee, brunch and a hip atmosphere. Protip: Bring your own mug to keep there, they’ll wash it for you and give you a discount.

This coffee is the real deal. With epic coffee and a chill vibe, sit and catch up with a good book joint. Just know, they don’t offer wifi, which can actually be really nice.

Starbucks Coffee It wouldn’t be a proper coffee shop section if Starbucks isn’t in it. Starbuck’s coffee shops are everywhere in Irvine. Running up a close second is Pete’s coffee. The closest Starbucks from UCI SOM’s campus is across the street. The Anteater Recreation Center

By Jessica Lin, Alex Anshus

The Anteater Recreation Center, also known as the ARC, is UCI's student recreation facility/gym, and reportedly one of the finest of any university in California. Regardless of how you like to exercise, chances are the ARC has you covered: basketball courts, racquetball courts, weight training rooms, an indoor track, exercise classes, a rock climbing wall, plenty of outdoor facilities (pool, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts), and much, much more! They coordinate countless recreational classes at the ARC as well, including scuba certification, The ARC is so state-of-the-art that Los Angeles Laker legend, Kobe Bryant, and healthy cooking courses, dance, yoga, martial arts, and San Antonio Spur, Lamarcus Aldridge, more. Don’t have the right gear? The ARC has you used to make occasional appearances covered. You can also rent equipment, such as towels, (although I have yet to see him there). basketballs, footballs, and many more. All medical students have access to the ARC, although it's located on the opposite side of campus relative to the medical school (but right across the street from Palo Verde and Verano Place campus housing). For full details, visit the ARC website

ARC Tricks of the Trade: ● If you register with the staff there, you can use

fingerprint technology to identify yourself and Keep yourself sane by finding gain access to the facilities. That way you something to do regularly that don't have to carry your student ID with you isn't school related! when you work out. Tom Keown, Class of 2019 ● Being such a nice gym that services the entire

UCI student body, the ARC can get pretty crowded at times. Depending on your anticipated activity, you may want to avoid busy hours. ● For example, I play a lot of pickup basketball there, but if I show up between 4:30-7 pm on a weekday, I probably will have to wait a few games before I'm able to play. ● In case things are too crowded inside, there are plenty of outdoor facilities to take advantage of.

Intramural Sports

Intramurals at UCI are very similar to most college intramurals, and are tons of fun. There are countless sports/leagues available to choose “Ok, so I know UCI is already awesome, but as a from, each of which are usually gym/pool frequent I read through the ARC website offered one quarter per year. The and am sold. Besides having everything from more popular sports may be broken classes (even guitar/cooking classes-what?!) to standard gym space, pool, and every sport field up into leagues of varying levels of possible, Yelp reviews even show UCLA students competition, and every league will who prefer our gym to theirs. Also, Gear Up can give me pool buoys for swimming: take THAT, 24 have a mix of undergraduates and hr! UCI also has an amazing rock wall. Don't forget graduate students filling its rosters. about the martial arts mat room...not going to lie that Most sports have about a 5 game was a selling point for me. Not a lot of gyms have that. They also occasionally host free classes-- season, followed by some sort of usually cooking” playoff tournament for teams that - Robi Bucayu, Class of 2019 qualify. These teams are really what you make out of them: if you are committed and want to put in a lot of time your team can coordinate practices among themselves, and if you're not into that and just want to have some fun, you can just show up once a week for your games. Any team that wins the championship gets a glorious IM championship t-shirt. UCISOM has an impressive track record with IMs, with representation in most leagues and even some championships! So if you're interested at all and want to play with other med students, don't hesitate to ask around and someone will point you in the right direction. We're banking on you to continue our legacy!

For more information/details, please visit: campus rec sports.

Exercise, Activities, and Classes

Dancing and Dance Classes

Whirl your way around the dance floor or bust a move with new friends. Whether you want to learn a new style of dance or just go hit the floor and impress your classmates with your sweet rhythm, Irvine’s got you covered. • Atomic Ballroom and Avant Garde Ballroom – Ballroom, Swing, and sexy Latin styles like the Salsa and Rumba • Focus Dance Center – Located nearby in UTC, this studio has classes for every type of dance, but their hip hop is where it’s at.

Rock Climbing

ARC Rock Wall For indoor climbing, the ARC has a small rock wall towards the entrance of the gym. It’s a great place to learn to climb, belay, or perfect your skills. Classes are available for all levels of climbers or to learn a new skill, like lead climbing. Sender One Gym Started by arguably the best sport climber in the world, Chris Sharma, this gym is one of the most progressive gyms in the US with walls topping out at 60 ft. The gym offers classes for all levels of climbing ability taught by certified and well-experienced friendly staff. It is a must visit for anyone interested in climbing. Included in this gym are also a full workout area and a yoga studio offering variety of classes. The gym offers student discounts and monthly free visitor pass with membership. Outdoor Climbing If you want to head out and climb some real rocks, you’re in luck. Many of your future classmates are huge climbing enthusiasts, planning trips to head out almost every weekend. Orange County offers easy access to many famous climbing areas: For sport climbing enthusiasts visit Malibu Creek State Park, Riverside Quarry, Red Rocks, or New Jack City. For trad climbing and bouldering visit the national park at Joshua Tree, Tahquitz, or the TramWay.

Cooking Classes

If you find yourself getting sick of In ‘n Out Burger and Chipotle for dinner every night, blasphemous, I know, then maybe you should try out a cooking class! The ARC, Sur la Table and TSpoons are two local places that offer adult cooking class. Put those cutting skills you learn in anatomy to use and realize how Dr. Wiki has taught you something besides how to imitate a Minnesotan accent.

For the social media fanatics, head over Soe Thein’s (Class of 2018) Instagram: @limeandcilantro. Your mouths will be watering for days.

Yoga

• Core Power Yoga • Bikram Yoga Irvine • Yoga Shakti • Triad Yoga • Radiant Hot Yoga • Mixx Yoga Get your stretch on and loosen up all the muscles whose names and functions you just memorized for Anatomy. Here are just a few favs, but be sure to check out the studio website, groupon, and yelp, as most of these places offer discounts for first time patrons or monthly deals.

Barre Classes

• Pure Barre Newport Beach • CardioBarre Irvine offers several awesome barre studios if you’re looking to add some dance training to your workout regime. Cross Fit

CrossFit Vibe If you’re looking for a little more strength and gymnastic training than what the ARC offers, CFV is the place for you! They offer a great deal for UCI Med Students for $129/month, but if there are more than five people from UCI that join, it drops to $99. This box is close to school, has an intense, energizing environment, and is a nice way to get outside the UCI MedEd bubble.

CrossFit Newport Beach f you’re new to CrossFit, this location offers new intro classes twice/month. Whether you’re the seasoned pro, or just starting out, this location offers great training and a welcoming atmosphere.

Aerial Skills

Aerial Arts Newport Beach Whether you’re looking for a new workout adventure or a seasoned aerial pro, Irvine has tons of aerial gyms to check out. Get a great workout of incorporating strength and flexibility, all while suspended in air.

Crafting

The Irvine Fine Arts Center’s Ceramics Studio is a popular place to take classes and offers specialized seasonal workshops all throughout the year. The studio is also a great place to work independently on projects while meeting other clay-enthusiasts during their weekly scheduled Open Studio sessions. Get a group together or fly solo, this is a fun activity for all. Irvine Ceramics Orange County Farmers Markets

Section 3: Housing Options

Bedroom 1 (12’7”× 12’4”)

Kitchen, and Living/Dining (12’5”× 28’) Warning: Bath The following content will possibly answer all of your questions regarding life, medicine, and the world around us. Okay, guilty, that was a bit of an oversell… but you will probably figure out where to live when you’re done, so Bedroom 2 that’s pretty cool! Patio (12’7”× 12’4”) Palo Verde Graduate Apartments http://housing.uci.edu/housingOptions/Palo_Verde.html 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Across from the ARC

Students: Jessica Lin, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 1.5ba; I have 1 roommate who is a 3rd year criminology PhD student. I applied for on campus grad housing and ended up at PV.

Total Rent: $811 per month

Rent Per Person: $811 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

The application for on campus housing was easier than finding a place off campus. I wasn't able to visit apartments before moving, so I just settled with living on campus. I'm glad I live across the street from the ARC...or I'd probably never work out. Distance from UCI SOM: 1.6 miles Why Should I not want to live here? Can you bike it?: Definitely

It is possible to get a roommate you don't like...and it could be a Distance from UCIMC: 18 miles whole year before you can move...so it's a gamble. BUT you get Distance from the Closest Beach: 5.1 to email your future roommate before signing the lease. miles to Corona Del Mar I really like PV and my roommate so I'll be renewing my lease for Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:45 next year :)

Zip Code: 92617

Pet Friendly: No

Grocery Stores nearby: 2

Restaurants nearby: Many; Afters Ice Cream, 85 Degree Bakery, Sunmerry Bakery

Demographic of the complex: Med students and grad students

About how many UCI med students live Amenities: within a mile of you?: 5+ ü Pay for laundry ü Unfurnished ü Rent includes internet but excludes electricity Palo Verde Graduate Apartments http://housing.uci.edu/housingOptions/Palo_Verde.html 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet and comfortable

Students: Nandie Khahera, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 1.5ba; My only roommate is a law student whom I was randomly assigned to. He is a great person and we have awesome conversations on sports, politics, and even Obamacare.

Total Rent: $1,622 per month

Rent Per Person: $811 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

As a medical student, day-to-day convenience can be key. If you ever need to travel back to your apartment between classes or Distance from UCI SOM: 1 miles study sessions, it is only a 5-7min drive. Restaurants and grocery stores are around you and you can walk to friends' Can you bike it?: Definitely apartments who live in Palo Verde. Directly across the street is UCI's gym, the ARC, and it allows me to walk to the gym in the Distance from UCIMC: 18 miles mornings and walk back without issue. There are also plenty of running trails on the streets surrounding Palo Verde. Perhaps my Distance from the Closest Beach: 5.1 favorite part is waking up early and watching dogs during their miles to Corona Del Mar morning walks as I read some physiology.

Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:45 Why Should I not want to live here?

Zip Code: 92617 If you are burning the midnight oil studying and arrive late at

night, you may have to park a bit far from your apartment. This is Pet Friendly: Yes because parking spots are not assigned so they are on a first-

come, first-served basis. There will be parking spots available, Grocery Stores nearby: Trader Joes and Albertson's but they just may be further away. There is also no elevator in case you need to carry heavy things up and down from your Restaurants nearby: There are many apartment. Thankfully the stairs are wide so carrying up couches restaurants nearby. My favorite are Tender and tables is not an issue. Regardless of these inconveniences, I Greens and In n Out. Taco Mesa is a quick emphatically renewed my lease to live there next year. 10min drive away. Amenities: Demographic of the complex: Graduate ü Laundry/dryer in building students. There are families with children and ü Parking is easy to find pets as well. ü BBQ and outdoor areas ü Internet, gas, trash included

About how many UCI med students live ü Pay for electricity within a mile of you?: 5+ Verano Place http://sites.uci.edu/veranoplace/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet, comfortable, convenient, close to school

Students: Nam Thai, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 2ba; I have one roommate who was randomly assigned to me by the grad student housing office. He is an engineering PhD candidate.

Total Rent: $1,200 per month

Rent Per Person: $760 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here? I ultimately chose to apply for campus housing because it was more convenient to live closer to school. The housing rates are also pretty competitive as well. There are a lot of classmates Distance from UCI SOM: 2 miles who live nearby either in Verano Place or Palo Verde which is right next to us. We are located near the ARC, UTC, restaurants, Can you bike it?: Definitely and grocery stores. You can also save on transportation and parking since you get free parking on-site. You can use the Distance from UCIMC: 17 miles Anteater Express or a bike to get to the med school campus without having to purchase a parking permit for $70/month if you Distance from the Closest Beach: 5.8 drive. Overall, a convenient, quiet, safe and affordable option to miles to Corona Del Mar consider.

Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:30 Why Should I not want to live here? If you are looking to live with other med students, it would be Zip Code: 92617 best if you live off-campus since this would be easier to

coordinate. On-campus housing would most likely place you with Pet Friendly: Yes other random grad students who applied for housing as well.

Since regular MD students are not guaranteed on-campus Grocery Stores nearby: Trader Joes, Albertsons housing, you would need to apply ASAP after March 1st because it is competitive to receive an on-campus housing offer. Restaurants nearby: Quite a few since we Don't expect to hear back until June or July. While you wait, it are close to UTC. I like to go to Le Dip for would be good to have alternatives in case you don't receive an great sandwiches at UTC! on-campus housing offer. Additionally, if you are not drawn to what Irvine has to offer and Demographic of the complex: Most grad want something more exciting and closer to the water, live in students and their families Newport. Living on-campus will remind you that you are in a About how many UCI med students live college town, surrounded by undergrads. within a mile of you?: 5+

Verano Place http://sites.uci.edu/veranoplace/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Close, Great Value, Comfortable

Students: Chelsea Lam, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 2ba; I live with 1 other roommate, a PhD student.

Total Rent: $1,520 per month

Rent Per Person: $760 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

GREAT DEAL, I pay $760 for a huuuuuuuge room. Dealing with the housing office is really easy because everything is billed to your Zot account (where you pay your tuition). My roommate moved out but I don't have to deal with figuring out how to find a Distance from UCI SOM: 1.5 miles new roommate, covering the cost of her rent, etc. BUT, i really wish I lived with a med student. Luckily, there are a handful of Can you bike it?: Definitely them who live in my building which are awesome, but it's not the same as having a roommate who is a med student. Distance from UCIMC: 17 miles Why Should I not want to live here? Distance from the Closest Beach: 5.8 miles to Corona Del Mar If you're afraid of having a random roommate that is a PhD student. Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:45

Zip Code: 92617

Pet Friendly: Yes

Grocery Stores nearby: Trader Joes, Albertsons, Wholesome Choice

Restaurants nearby: Tons of restaurants!

All the ones by UTC.

Demographic of the complex: Other graduate students, medical students, law students, PhD's and a good percentage with Amenities: family (young children). ü Laundry/dryer

About how many UCI med students live ü Water, gas, internet included within a mile of you?: 5+ ü Electricity is the only bill you pay for

Baypointe Apartments https://www.irvinecompanyapartments.com/communities/baypointe 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet, comfortable, lots of dogs, no college students

Students: Alyssa Lo, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 2ba; I live with my fiancé, Tommy.

Total Rent: $2,400 per month

Rent Per Person: $1,200 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

Baypointe is a great place to live if you want to escape medical school and live in a community of young professionals (and avoid the feel of a campus dorm). It is located right near the back bay trail which is a great running/biking loop around the bay. The community hosts some fun events every month and Distance from UCI SOM: 1.7 miles the housing office is extremely accommodating and prompt. It is a gated apartment complex that closes the gates every evening Can you bike it?: Definitely from 6:30 pm to 8 am. We never hear our neighbors and it feels like we have a town home because we have a one-car garage Distance from UCIMC: 15 miles which is great for storage! We are right near the 73 freeway which provides easy access to the medical center. Distance from the Closest Beach: 4.8 miles to Corona Del Mar Why Should I not want to live here?

Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:50 You do not want to live here if you want to pretend you are in college again. You also don't want to live here if you are a Zip Code: 92660 heartless person who hates dogs. I am planning on living here

for all four years of medical school because it is such an Pet Friendly: Yes awesome place.

Grocery Stores nearby: Ralphs, Pavilions, Trader Joes Amenities: ü Laundry/dryer IN UNIT Restaurants nearby: Tons of restaurants! ü Pool ü hot tub Love going to Fashion Island and UTC for food. ü workout facility ü gas stove ü large bedrooms Demographic of the complex: Young ü fireplace professionals, retired people and young ü large balcony families ü COX internet and cable ü air conditioning/heating About how many UCI med students live ü prompt fix it requests within a mile of you?: 5+ ü one-car garage

Newport North https://www.irvinecompanyapartments.com/communities/newport-north 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet, Comfortable, Pleasant

Students: Bima Hasjim, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 3br, 2.5ba; 3 first- year medical students live in our apartment and we each have our own rooms. We found each other through a google sheet that will be organized by one of your classmates.

Total Rent: $2,695 per month

Rent Per Person: $920-1100 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here? Newport North is a great place to live. My roommates and I chose it because of its proximity to campus and its quality. Distance from UCI SOM: 1 miles Amenities and the buildings in the Newport North complex are new and high quality. Coordination with the housing office was Can you bike it?: Definitely easy and we got settled in no time. One of the biggest reasons why we chose Newport North was also its supply of parking Distance from UCIMC: 15.4 miles spaces and guest parking. My roommates and I brought our cars with us and finding parking inside the complex is safe, easy, and Distance from the Closest Beach: 4.3 always plentiful if friends and family visit. miles to Corona Del Mar Why Should I not want to live here? Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:50 You should not live in Newport North if you are looking to party or make a lot of loud noise. The majority of people who live in Zip Code: 92660 the complex are young families with very young children who

may have early bed times. Also, I haven't experienced this Pet Friendly: Yes myself because our lease hasn't ended yet, but rumor has it that

Newport North is notorious for dipping into your security deposit Grocery Stores nearby: Ralphs, Pavilions, Trader Joes, Albertson's at the end of the year for very minute details.

Restaurants nearby: Plenty of options at Fashion Island and UTC.

Demographic of the complex: Young professionals and families.

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 5+

Villa Siena https://www.irvinecompanyapartments.com/communities/villa-siena 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet, relaxing and resort-like feel

Students: Pejman Majd, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 2ba, I live with 1 other UCISOM med student

Total Rent: $2,180 per month

Rent Per Person: $1,090 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

Villa Siena is a great place to live if you want to escape campus and live in a community of young professionals. They don’t allow co-signers so this pretty much disqualifies most of the undergraduate students from living here so my building is fairly quiet. Like a few other properties on here, the community is Distance from UCI SOM: 2.8 miles managed by The Irvine Company and they host fun events every month. The housing office is incredibly helpful and whenever I Can you bike it?: Yes put in a repair request online, they either come the day of or the following day. It is a gated complex with a security guard, so you Distance from UCIMC: 12 miles always feel safe. Parking is a breeze (we each have our own spots right next to the elevator in an underground parking garage Distance from the Closest Beach: 6 miles and there is plenty of guest parking. We rarely hear our to Corona Del Mar neighbors and the complex is right off of the 405 jamboree exit so that gives you easy access to the medical center. If you leave Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:45 your house 15 minutes before lecture, you will arrive on time. I highly recommend this apartment complex! Zip Code: 92612

Why Should I not want to live here? Pet Friendly: Yes

If you want to party every night and be loud. This is a fairly quiet Grocery Stores nearby: Trader Joes, Albertsons apartment complex and that will not go well with your neighbors. Otherwise, I really have no complaints! Restaurants nearby: Tons of restaurants! (See restaurants section) Amenities: ü Laundry/dryer IN UNIT Demographic of the complex: Young ü Pool/hot tub professionals, retired people and young ü Workout facility families ü Gas stove ü Large bedrooms/balcony About how many UCI med students live ü COX internet and cable within a mile of you?: 5-10 ü Central AC/heating ü Prompt maintenance requests ü Two-car underground garage One Nautical Mile http://www.newportbeachrealestate.com/one-nautical-mile.php 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Fun, easy, convenient

Students: Alex Anshus, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 4br, 2.5ba; I live with 3 other MS1s.

Total Rent: $3,800 per month

Rent Per Person: $950 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

I chose this complex because of the proximity to the beach, the peninsula, and the many beach towns up and down PCH. The Newport/Costa Mesa area is very vibrant and there is always something fun to do here. It's easy to stay active with the many hiking/biking trails up and down the coast, and the beach is a Distance from UCI SOM: 7 miles great place to relax after a long week. Plus we're only 15 minutes away from campus, so getting to school is never an Can you bike it?: Yes, but difficult. issue. I’ll be living here again next year.

Distance from UCIMC: 13.9 miles Why Should I not want to live here?

Distance from the Closest Beach: 1.2 mile Someone who feels that they need to attend every lecture or be to Newport Beach at school every day may want to live closer to campus.

Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:35

Zip Code: 92663 Living with fellow medical students has been a Pet Friendly: Yes huge help. If you're stuck on something or aren't sure where to go next, having roommates to Grocery Stores nearby: 6 help you out is great. Also- if you forget about some mandatory event, usually your roommates will remind you (or wake you up) before it's too Restaurants nearby: Too many to count. Pho Lantern Cafe, Super Pollo, Chronic late. Living where you find yourself most comfortable is also a good idea. Since most Tacos classes aren't mandatory, you can live a little further away from campus if you think you'll be Demographic of the complex: A mix of happier there. young professionals and a few families with Alex Anshus, Class of 2019 young kids.

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 3-5

Quail Hill Apartments https://www.irvinecompanyapartments.com/communities/quail-hill 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Comfortable, but expensive

Students: John Jiao, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 1br, 1ba, 1 study; I live with my girlfriend and two very unintelligent dogs.

Total Rent: $1,850 per month

Rent Per Person: $925 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here? For some people, being constantly surrounded by medical students, medical school, etc can be overwhelming. Living here has been a great respite from everything, and it's good to remember the outside world when you're studying most of your waking hours! There's also a shopping center a few minutes Distance from UCI SOM: 6.5 miles walk down the road that has everything you could want: a large grocery store, about a dozen restaurants spanning every food Can you bike it?: No style, Chase/BoA banks, a mens hair salon, even a mail office and massage parlor (obviously very expensive). The entire Distance from UCIMC: 16 miles neighborhood is also very quiet. I'm only one highway stop away from campus; it takes me about 15-25 minutes depending on Distance from the Closest Beach: 9.2 traffic. miles to Laguna Beach Why Should I not want to live here? Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:30 This housing complex is difficult for me to recommend solely because of the price. When utilities are included it's about 1050 Zip Code: 92603 a month for both of us. Additionally, we got a unit on the 3rd floor

but because the community is composed of about a hundred Pet Friendly: Yes separate buildings, there are no elevators in any of them. That

has made taking our dogs out a few times a day a real hassle. If Grocery Stores nearby: Albertsons you want to always be around where med students are hanging Restaurants nearby: 10+ nearby. I like out, have easy access to on-campus studying (if you prefer not Nalu's, a Hawaiian-style restaurant. to study at home--I do), etc, then I wouldn't recommend this place. We are going to be moving to a place next year that is on the ground floor and has hardwood floors! Demographic of the complex: A wide variety of households -- families, young couples, etc. No undergrads live near me, and I don't know of any med students here either.

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 0 Woodbridge Apartments http://www.sheaapartments.com/apartments/woodbridge/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet and relaxing

Students: Katrina Lee, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 3br, 2ba; I live with 2 medical students in my class, we each have our own rooms. We all found each other through the housing sheet on the class Facebook page.

Total Rent: $2,400 per month

Rent Per Person: $715-950 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Distance from UCI SOM: 4.5 miles Why Should I want to live here?

Can you bike it?: Yes, but difficult. My roommates and I loved this location because of its location and pricing. Although we are about 12 minutes from campus, we Distance from UCIMC: 14 miles are conveniently surrounded by many restaurants and grocery stores; for us it is nice to have a place to retreat away to from the Distance from the Closest Beach: 11 miles busy campus area. Parking is never an issue here and to Crystal Cove coordination with our landlord is easy! Our neighborhood is quiet, making it a great place to study or relax. Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:40 Why Should I not want to live here? Zip Code: 92614

We do not live as close to campus as most other medical Pet Friendly: Yes students do. So if distance is a determining factor for you, the

Grocery Stores nearby: Target, Albertsons, Woodbridge community may not be the best area for you. Sprouts, Ralphs, 99 Ranch, H-Mart

Restaurants nearby: 10+, California Fish Grill and Buffalo Wild Wings

Demographic of the complex: Families

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 1-2

Amenities: ü Laundry/dryer ü Refrigerator ü Pool ü Hot tub ü Neighborhood park Balboa Island http://www.zillow.com/balboa-island-newport-beach-ca/apartments/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Quiet, relaxing, comfortable, escape

Students: Luke Yu, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 3br, 1ba; I have 2 other roommates - one MS1, one MS2. We each have our own room. We befriended each other the year before medical school started.

Total Rent: $1,800 per month

Rent Per Person: $550-700 per person/month

Lease Length: September-June Distance from UCI SOM: 4.5 miles Why Should I want to live here? Can you bike it?: Yes, but difficult This area is nice and affordable because we found a good Distance from UCIMC: 13 miles deal through our friend. It's very quiet and safe in this neck of

the woods and it's nice to be by the water. We can take the Distance from the Closest Beach: 0.6 miles ferry to the other side which leads to the beach and many to Balboa Pier restaurants. It's a bigger space with a big kitchen and living Time you leave for 8:00am class: 7:30 room space which is nice.

Zip Code: 92662 Why Should I not want to live here?

Pet Friendly: Yes It is a bit of a drive away from school. It takes about ~15- 20 minutes with normal traffic so you kind've have to plan Grocery Stores nearby: Pavilions, Ralphs, ~2 your day without being able to go home right after miles radius classes. I wish the gym was closer but that's really the Restaurants nearby: There are a few only downside. restaurants on the island. I like going to this Chinese restaurant for take out when I'm too lazy too cook and need something fast.

Demographic of the complex: Many families and elderly people.

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 0

Amenities: ü Laundry/dryer

ü Water

ü Other utilities we must set up ourselves Long Beach/Belmont Shores http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/Belmont-Shore-Long-Beach- CA/condo,apartment_duplex_type/113713_rid/any_days/33.764619,-118.13132,33.751846,-118.14604_rect/15_zm/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Vibrant area, great alternative to Irvine for 3rd and 4th year

Students: Borna Dabiri, Class of 2016

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 1ba; I live with my wife.

Total Rent: $1.500 per month

Rent Per Person: $750 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year

Why Should I want to live here?

If you're someone who doesn't want to live in Irvine and want to have a different vibe. It has probably the best selection of restaurants and bars all concentrated in one area along 2nd Distance from UCI SOM: 21 miles street that are easily within walking distance. It also provides a

different feel that the typical college housing/crowds. Can you bike it?: No

Distance from UCIMC: 16 miles Why Should I not want to live here?

Distance from Long Beach VA: 1.4 miles It is certainly far for 1st and 2nd years to live here, however, one should certainly consider it for 3rd and 4th years. Distance from the Closest Beach: <0.5 miles to Belmont Beach

Time you leave for 8:00am class: 6:45

Zip Code: 90814

Pet Friendly: Yes

Grocery Stores nearby: Ralphs, Vons, Pavillions

Restaurants nearby: Belmont Shores has many restaurants along 2nd street area. Favorite = Nick's on 2nd.

Demographic of the complex: Undergrads and young professionals

About how many UCI med students live Amenities: within a mile of you?: 3-5 ü Laundry/dryer

House in Brea, California http://www.zillow.com/brea-ca/ 2-3 word description of the vibe of living situation: Suburban escape

Students: Katy Lunny, Class of 2019

Student Contact Info: [email protected]

Living Arrangements: 2br, 1ba; I live with my boyfriend, who commutes to LA for work.

Total Rent: $2,050 per month

Rent Per Person: $1,025 per person/month

Lease Length: 1 year Distance from UCI SOM: 25 miles Why Should I want to live here? Can you bike it?: No

Our neighborhood (and others in North Orange County) is Distance from UCIMC: 10 miles perfect for someone who needs to or wants to be between

Irvine and LA (significant other, family, etc.). Our Distance from the Beach: 28 miles to Belmont Pier neighborhood is very safe, and we have a backyard, which is perfect for our dog. We are walking distance from downtown Time you leave for 8:00am class: 6:45 am Brea, which is a fun area with restaurants, bars, and a movie theater. We are also close to downtown Fullerton, another Zip Code: 92821 fun area which has a college-town feel (close to CSUF). It may be far from Irvine, but it's a great way to get separation Pet Friendly: Yes from school and come home to something a bit different.

Grocery Stores nearby: Ralphs, Albertsons, Trader Joes Why Should I not want to live here?

Restaurants nearby: A lot! We are near Mine is a unique living situation, and first years would most downtown Brea, which has a number of likely not want to live here because of the distance from restaurants and bars. We love Taps Fish school. It typically takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to House/Brewery and Yard House. school for an 8am or 9am class, and leaving any time after 3:30pm to come home takes about the same amount of time. Demographic of the complex: Families

About how many UCI med students live within a mile of you?: 0

Amenities: ü Laundry/dryer IN UNIT ü Backyard ü One-car garage ü Plenty of street parking Housing FAQs

Q: When do on-campus housing offers for VDC, Verano Place, Palo Verde, and Campus Village typically begin to go out to regular MD students who are on the housing waitlist? A: Usually on-campus housing is not offered a spot until mid-July. Contacting the housing office at your target community periodically (though not so much as to be annoying, it's a fine line) can be helpful. It is recommended to have a temporary place to live in case it takes that long to get off the waitlist. Respond promptly to the emails and be specific in your communications with the housing office. For those that have leases that start a few weeks after school starts, you may be able to request an earlier move-in date through the housing office. Be willing to move in during July and try to be as specific if possible!

Q: To the techy people out there, what Internet speed do 3 MS1 roommates need? A: 10 Mbps would be liveable, +25 Mbps would be good, 100 Mbps would be more than enough.

ProTips

SETTING UP ELECTRICITY: gas and electric companies have special rates for low income households (like students accumulating massive amounts of debt) through the CARE program. All you have to do is fill out your information online and state your household income, and you save 20- 30% your bills if you qualify. Here are the links I used: • SoCal Gas • CARE program

OUT OF STATE STUDENTS BECOMING CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS You may have heard that UCI allows you to become a resident and pay in-state tuition after the first year. This is true, but there are some steps that you need to take and document throughout the year to build a strong petition for residency reclassification. The application and to-do list may be found on the registrar's website. Try to knock out as many items as you can before school starts and make sure you keep those things in mind as the year progresses. You want everything done as early as possible because it strengthens your case, so definitely don't let months go by. Examples would be registering to vote and voting in California, registering your car here, getting a California driver’s license etc.

Section 4: Student Life

Contributing Authors

Megan Bernstein Luke Yu Are you wondering about… Olivia Kaminsky Nam Thai Elisa Zhang üIntramural Sports Orli Florsheim üStudent Groups & Organizations Contributing Authors üFree Clinics at UCISOM

Katrina Lee üUCISOM Traditions William Minteer Monica Lee üLGBTQIA Resources Lauren Shreve Soe Thein You’ve come to the right place! Michael Butler

WARNING: Anteaters are as ferocious as they are obscure.

Orientation Wake up in the morning feelin’ like….an official medical student. Contributors: Luke Yu, Olivia Kaminsky, Nam Thai Welcome to Orientation, a jam-packed, 3-days for your official initiation to becoming a true part of the UCI School of Medicine. In just a few days you will: • Interact with new peers that will soon become family. • Meet with and listen to welcome statements by the deans and administration in their respective fields. • Receive your iPads which will accompany you on a daily basis through our academic careers. • Find your Academic Society groups along with your Academic Society Leader. These groups will quickly become your support system, led by a physician in the UCI health care system that will take you under their wings to help you navigate through the medical journey. • Tour the medical center where you soon discover and nurture your specific passions in medicine • Get the chance to express your creativity through medical skits – one of the most memorable events of the entire week! The skits may have been awkward at first, since it was really the first time during orientation that we got to meet and interact with our future classmates. However, it ended being so fun to Many upperclassmen have work together and then perform the skits in front of told me to take advantage of everyone. social events during my first year since time will be very limited as we approach 2nd and 3rd year. It is great to take breaks and go bond with your classmates. The opportunities to do this later will only diminish. Eva Martinez, Class of 2019

Meet your classmates because you'll find that there are so many awesome people in the class. It's nice to have a support system to help you with the stress and the fun of being in medical school. Luke Yu, Class of 2019

You will quickly realize the warmth and nurturing community here at UCI. The upper classmen, administration and faculty at UCI are very friendly, accessible, and available—something that will continue all throughout your years as a medical student. Whether it be answering questions about the lifestyle of a medical student or providing opportunities to shadow, it truly felt like the medical school journey would be a team effort. The days will feel incredibly busy, yet in the most exciting way. The MS2 students will organized daily evening social mixers at some of the local favorites— a perfect time to get to know our classmates in a more casual environment! And as a culmination of all of these events? The White Coat Ceremony. You will be photographed in the white coat you so longingly wished to hold on to when you were fitted into it during your interview days. However, this time, they will be personally embroidered, a symbol of your readiness to begin the path as a medical student. There will be a few hours to enjoy our families and friends prior to the official ceremony. The time before White Coat are a bit hectic as you may try to coordinate with travelling family for the ceremony. Plan early for any family activities before the actual ceremony, most of us opted for a late lunch/early dinner just to be safe. Orientation is such an exciting time! Even if you don’t remember everyone’s names, meet as many people as you can. Orientation is truly an unforgettable experience.

Being in a new state, city, and school can be difficult. Away from your usual support system, starting from zero, negative numbers in debt, and surrounded by strangers can be an uneasy transition. Fear not! We have all been outsiders to the anteater family before. Below are a few tricks of the trade from various students of the UCI SOM community.

Be yourself. Don't let anyone take who you are away from you. Medical school can be brutal but if you don't fit the mold, you can find your place and achieve amazing things, whether that means studying as hard as you can or spending your time on efforts outside medical school that are deeply meaningful to you. Kyle Barbour, Class of 2018

Finding balance is important. I was told to not worry too much about exams and focus more on learning as much as I can while having fun and maintaining a social life. Katy Lunny, Class of 2019

Balance self-care and academic goals. Shella Raja, Class of 2019

I think the best advice I got was to have fun and not stress too much about school. It's all about finding a balance and continuing to do things outside of med school that you love. Alex Anshus, Class of 2019

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Study hard and sleep.

David Avila, Class of 2019

First year is as fun and/or as stressful as you make it. You have more free time

than one would expect and it us up to you to fill it up with things that make you happy. Also, comparing yourself to others is not required as there are many different paths to the same specialties.

We are all examples of this as we enter medical school: no two applicants are exactly alike, and yet we are all part of the same class.

Nandie Khahera, Class of 2019

Don't take things so seriously. This is a good time to explore and try new things. Dhruba Banerjee, Class of 2019

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First year is all about learning how to learn best. Work hard but also remember to take time for your own wellbeing. Set aside time every day to do something that you love! Katrina Lee, Class of 2019

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Don't forget to do the things that make you, you! If you like yoga, take a new class. Want to stay active in your global health interests? Find a summer ultrasound trip! Need to organize all your notes by color? YOU DO YOU. Being a medical student isn’t about being someone new, its about doing it in a way that keeps you excited every day! Megan Bernstein, Class of 2019

Don't take everything so seriously! Monica Lee, Class of 2019

Free Clinic Volunteer Opportunities at UCISOM Contributors: Elisa Zhang, Orli Florsheim, Megan Bernstein, Katrina Lee, William Minteer, Monica Lee

It can be very easy to forget that many parts of Orange County are not as prosperous as Irvine. Santa Ana, just 15 minutes away from campus, has the 5th –highest rate of uninsured individuals in the US (21.2%) according to the 2011 American Community Survey. Furthermore, 23.5% live below the poverty line and 77.1% have less than a high school education. The nearby cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Westminster and Orange have high rates of uninsured individuals (17-20%), in contrast with Irvine and Newport Beach (6-9%).

Because of this immense need, UCI SOM students lead and volunteer at four amazing free clinics that serve uninsured patients in the aforementioned cities, as well as Mexico. Most of these free clinics run weekly (every Saturday), so we can always, ALWAYS use more medical student volunteers to see patients (especially on Saturdays before exams).

Pro Tip: Be sure to attend the first Social Medicine Elective lecture held in August, where each of the free clinics will give a presentation about their work.

Besides helping out our less fortunate neighbors, why else should you volunteer?

• Reinforce what you’re learning in class. Nothing helps you remember the clinical presentation of a disease or the complications arising from it than treating a real, breathing, scared patient with the disease. Many fellow classmates and I never regret spending a morning at clinic because we always feel like we learn some high-yield clinical pearls. It is uncanny (but very reassuring and exciting) that every time you volunteer, you will be able to connect something you see in clinic to something you learned about in your basic science lectures.

• Learn the practical aspects of treating or diagnosing a disease. Sure, in physiology class you memorized that type 2 diabetes is defined by HbA1c > 6.5%. But what kind of doctor-y things are you actually supposed to do when a patient comes to you for diabetes follow-up?

• One-on-one mentorship from physicians helping you through the entire patient encounter. What better way is there to prepare for the wards as an MS3, where this kind of individualized mentorship will be rare? Becoming comfortable and competent in the clinic early on will very likely boost the evaluations you receive as a clinical student and sharpen your resume when applying to residency.

• Practice clinical skills on real patients, rather than on standardized patients (i.e. actors). Clinical Foundations is an essential part of our curriculum, but taking the history, performing a physical exam, and generating a differential diagnosis is much harder (and more interesting!) when you get the quirks and curveballs that come with real patients.

• To recharge and remember why you are in medical On average, MS1s who school. There are a million reasons why medical school volunteer at free clinics can be stressful; the barrage of tests that first year commit about 5 hours throws at you is a common one. It can be very easy to per month. become overly stressed by these tests and lose sight of why we decided to become a doctor. Seeing patients in the clinic is a great way to regain perspective on the big picture of medical training and remember why most of us decided to become doctors in the first place—to help people.

Interclinic Counsel

Although all four free clinics operate independently of each other, the Interclinic Council was established this last year (2015) as a forum to better address common issues faced by all these clinics in serving the underserved population in Orange County and Valle Redondo, Mexico. The main goal of this council is to increase communication between clinics and better share resources (such as health education programs, social service resources, and pamphlets) that all our patients can benefit from and strategies for problems commonly encountered in clinic. One to two representatives from each clinic meet monthly in this council. Please contact Priya Patel ([email protected]) for more information. Website: http://interclinicuci.weebly.com/

Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP)

In February 2016, a group of UCI medical students succeeded in opening not only the first needle exchange in Orange County, but also the first in the country to be run by medical students. It provides clean needles, dirty needle disposal, HIV and Hep C screening, referrals to health, housing, and treatment services, and other harm reduction and safer-sex supplies and information. This unique volunteer experience at UCI immerses medical students in harm reduction training, which includes learning how to administer naloxone, and enables volunteers to work alongside incredible community members and organizations that directly save lives on a daily basis.

In order to volunteer OCNEP, you will attend one of our training sessions on campus, and shadow us out in the community. We are completely staffed by volunteers, and we are counting on medical student volunteers to help us continue to thrive as an organization offering indispensible services to the community. We look forward to meeting you!

Date/Hours: Every Saturday 12pm-3pm, Santa Ana Civic Center Unique to this clinic: ü We are the first needle exchange in Orange County and the first one in the country to be operated and staffed by medical students. ü We work alongside other established harm-reduction agencies in Orange County and volunteers who live in the community. ü We write and submit our own grants to various national organizations. ü We have ongoing research opportunities pertaining to harm reduction and addiction. Number of MS1s on Clinic Board: 5 Current board positions: Steering Committee, finance, volunteer coordinator, operations Affiliation/funding/oversight: We are funded through grants and generous donors. Current Medical Student Chair(s): Orli Florsheim ([email protected]), Dhruba Banerjee ([email protected]), Nathan Birnbaum ([email protected]), Kelley Butler ([email protected]), Marissa Lovio ([email protected]) Medical Director: None! Website: www.ocnep.org

Crescent Clinic

Crescent Clinic first opened its doors in April 2014 after its founder, Tipu Khan, MD and several UCI medical students and undergraduates spent several years conducting a health needs assessment of the community. Crescent Clinic had been previously functioning as a mobile health clinic that travelled around Orange County under the name of Shifa Clinic. South Garden Grove was identified as the most underserved population in the area without a free clinic. Medical students and a large undergraduate base now staff the clinic every week, while supplies and a dedicated clinic space is sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America. The most unique aspect of the Crescent clinic is the wide ethnic patient diversity (South Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Filipino, African-American, Caucasian) This can prove to be an invaluable experience as you gain exposure to religious customs and cultural preferences that you may have never experienced before. Most patients here speak English, but an occasional Spanish, Farsi, and Urdu translator is necessary.

Location: 2180 W. Crescent Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801 Date/Hours: Every Saturday 9am-2pm Unique to this clinic: ü The only free clinic at UCI that uses an electronic medical record (EMR); med students here have the opportunity to write up an entire electronic SOAP note for each patient, with the assistance of an undergraduate scribe. ü Many preceptors and some of the clinical students here are medical graduates from foreign countries—a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from those who received their medical training from other countries. Number of MS1s on Clinic Board: 8 Current board positions: Clinic Chair, EMR/Scribe coordinators, Clinic/Volunteers coordinator, Undergraduate Mentorship/Community Outreach coordinator, Health Education/Social Services coordinator Affiliation/funding/oversight: Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Current Medical Student Chair(s): Ramin Rajaii ([email protected]) Medical Director: Tipu Khan, MD Website: www.crescentclinicoc.org

Flying Samaritans

Flying Samaritans is an organization that works to provide medical care to underserved areas of Baja California, Mexico. The UCI School of Medicine chapter runs a clinic in El Niño, just outside of Tijuana. Once a month, our volunteer medical students, physicians, and undergraduates travel to Mexico to provide free consultations, ultrasound, and pharmacy services to the people of El Niño. Our medical student volunteers take vitals and patient histories, present to the volunteer physician, and fill prescriptions. We are also working to open a dental clinic for our patients.

Location: 15 minutes southeast of Otay Mesa Date/Hours: First Sat. of each month. Carpools leave UCI main campus at 6:15am, get back at 5pm-7pm.

Unique to this clinic: ü The only free clinic at UCI that operates in a rural and international setting (all patients speak Spanish), thus this is a great opportunity for those interested in international work or practicing medical Spanish. ü Car rides getting to get to know your fellow medical students and volunteers ü Need to bring your passport to volunteer ü Delicious, hot churros on the way back. ü Its annual fundraiser is the annual Kaiser Permanente So-Cal Half-Marathon and 5K race held in Irvine—UCI SOM students have dominated this race in the past! Number of MS1s on Clinic Board: 8 Current board positions: Presidents, trip coordinators, pharmacy coordinator, media director, treasurer, physician coordinator, patient education/clinic coordinator, women’s health/ultrasound coordinator, research coordinator Affiliation/funding/oversight: Flying Samaritans Current Medical Student Chair(s): Ramin Rajaii ([email protected]) and Kathryn Barron ([email protected]) Website: flyingsamsucisom.com

An Lành Free Clinic

An Lành Free Clinic first opened its doors at Methodist Church on 12741 Main Street in Garden Grove in December 2014. Since then, we have served over 200 patients at our weekly Saturday clinic days. As a satellite of Lestonnac Free Clinic, we strive to provide healthcare at a minimal to no cost to all uninsured individuals within Orange County and Southern California, while expanding and building upon the resources available to foster a healthy and sound communities. Currently, we provide primary care, preventive services, referrals, and health education to uninsured adults.

"An lành" means peace or healing in Vietnamese. Our clinic is unique because it has been a collaborative effort between UCI medical and undergraduate students since inception. Both medical and undergraduate students hold positions on the executive board and play vital roles in the clinic’s operations. The majority of the patients that we serve come from either Latino or Vietnamese backgrounds. We are always looking for physicians, medical students, and other health professional students to volunteer and contribute to our clinic. We hope that you will join in our efforts to provide quality healthcare to Orange County’s underserved populations.

Location: 12741 Main Street, Garden Grove, CA 92840 Date/Hours: Every Saturday 8am-1pm, except long weekends. Unique to this clinic: ü The opportunity to see patients with osteopathic medical students from Western University, who also volunteer at this clinic. (hint: they know a lot more physical exam and osteopathic manipulation than we do!) ü Opportunity to shape the direction of this new clinic ü Many preceptors are Kaiser Permanente doctors Current board positions: Medical student liason, community outreach, patient navigation/ health advocacy, undergraduate professional development, patient education, physician recruitment, research and grant opportunities Possible upcoming plans: implementing a patient education program Affiliation/funding/oversight: Lestonnac Free Clinic Number of MS1s on Clinic Board: 7 Current Medical Student Chair(s): Allen Yu ([email protected]), Nam Thai ([email protected]), Rachel Sunico, ([email protected]), Mariana Gomez ([email protected]), Katrina Lee ([email protected]), Robert Bucayu ([email protected]), Tuan Ngo ([email protected]) Medical Directors: Baotran Vo, MD (UCI faculty member), Karina Melgar, MD (Kaiser Permanente Community Medicine Fellow) Website: clubs.uci.edu/freeclinic/

UCI Outreach Clinic

The UCI Outreach Clinic is the longest-standing free student clinic at UCI. We are committed to delivering high quality medical care to individuals living in the community who have limited access to health care and insurance. Not only do we provide primary care services to our patients, we also make low-cost referrals and teach wellness classes on a regular basis.

As volunteers at UCIOC, first year medical students work with preceptors and older students to take patient histories and present cases. Volunteering with us allows you to practice patient interviewing skills and learn about treatment for chronic and acute illness while touching the lives of our community members whose healthcare would otherwise fall through the cracks. In order to learn more about us, please attend the first Social Medicine Elective after classes start and visit us at ucioutreachclinics.org. We see patients every Saturday morning at the Lestonnac Free Clinic. We look forward to working with you!

Location: Lestonnac Free Clinic, 1215 East Chapman Avenue, Orange, CA. 92866 Date/Hours: Every Saturday, 8am-12:30pm, except major holidays and long weekends Unique to this clinic: ü The only clinic that is officially affiliated with UCI, so all preceptors and medical directors are UCI family medicine faculty or residents. ü MS1s and MS2s are paired with MS3s and MS4s throughout the patient visit. ü The annual UCIOC Fall Benefit is a widely attended social event every year that raises funds for the clinic through a silent auction for goodies that include Kaplan test-prep discounts, wine, and dinners with professors. Number of MS1s on Clinic Board: 10 Current board positions: Labs/dispensary, finance, patient education, diabetes class, community relations, research, volunteer/elective coordinator, web/publicity Affiliation/funding/oversight: UCI School of Medicine, Lestonnac Free Clinic Current Medical Student Chair(s): Orli Florsheim, MS1 ([email protected]); Sunggoan Ji, MSTP Medical directors: Emily Dow, MD (UCI faculty members) Website: www.ucioutreachclinics.org

Student Involvement and Activities

Interest groups The various medical interest groups below give students exposure to the respective fields through lectures, On average, UCI MS1s spend workshops, mentorship, and interactions with physicians. about 22.17 hours/month on Students have an opportunity to receive career advice and extracurricular activities! learn more about the patient populations, procedures, lifestyle, and hot topics in each field.

Interest Group Description Contact AMIG is a venue for medical students to learn more Will Minteer about the field of academic medicine, to meet and [email protected] learn from physicians involved in research, and to stay up-to-date with progress in the medical Academic Medicine research community. We hope to help students Winston Vuong Interest Group develop an understanding of what it means to be an [email protected] academic physician and to facilitate their involvement in research going on at UCI.

Derek Wu The Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG) is a [email protected] Anesthesiology medical student run organization which hosts events, lectures and and activities with the goal Interest Group promote interest in the field of anesthesiology and Jeanette Chin perioperative medicine. [email protected]

Dermatology Interest Group is an organization Andrew Nguyen composed of UC Irvine medical students who are [email protected] interested in pursuing careers in dermatology. Our aim is to cultivate interest in the exciting field of Dermatology dermatology. Our goal is to provide a support group, Catherine Nguyen Interest Group career advice and guidance, research opportunities [email protected] and conduct community outreach projects in areas pertaining to dermatology.

The UCI Emergency Medicine Interest Group is one Lisa Remington of the largest interest groups at UCI SOM. Our [email protected] goals include generating interest in the field, holding Emergency educational workshops and physician panels, Medicine Interest providing resources on residency programs in EM, Jessa Baker Group providing career advice and guidance and [email protected] conducting community outreach projects in injury prevention, public safety, and first aid.

FMIG is committed to providing the student body Jessica Membreno with various events that highlight the rewards of [email protected] practicing family medicine. It also aims to answer Family Medicine Interest Group questions and provide resources to those interested in pursuing family medicine.

Shaun Disney [email protected] IMIG is devoted to providing students with exposure to the wide range of fields and career paths encompassed within Internal Medicine, and Michael Butler cultivating/developing our passion for [email protected] pathophysiology in all students regardless of fubture career interest. Will Minteer Internal Medicine [email protected] Interest Group Fun fact: Stethoscopes: Internal Medicine Interest Group creates a bulk order for you at the beginning of the year to save lots of money on this essential instrument. You can also customize your stethoscope with styles, colors, and name engraving! Additional bulk orders include clip boards, pen lights, etc.

Interventional Wilfred Manzani Radiology Interest Raise awareness of the specialty of IR [email protected] Group Promote increased awareness of public health Victor Cisneros issues, provide exposure to work being done in [email protected] public health by UC Irvine faculty and give students the opportunity to learn by initiating, developing and Medicine and Public participating in their own public health projects. Jesse Gomez Health Interest Provide discussions and seminars dedicated to [email protected] Group increasing awareness of public health issues and, inspire and motivate students from all health care fields to become more aware of public health issues and their complexities.

Alyssa Lo OB/GYN interest group (OGIG) organizes the [email protected] OBGYN Interest UTEACH elective in the fall and provides workshops Group and events for medical students to learn more about Brianna Williams the field of OB/GYN and women's health. [email protected]

Soe Thein [email protected] Pathology Interest Educate students about the specialty of Pathology Group Wilfred Manzano [email protected]

The Pediatric Interest Group (PIG) holds activities [email protected] and talks from pediatricians for those who are Pediatric Interest interested in pursuing pediatric medicine. Group Follow PIG on twitter at @UCISOMPIG

Candace Borders [email protected] Physical Medicine Provide information and activities to students and Rehabilitation interested in the specialty of PM&R Garwin Chin Interest Group [email protected]

The psychiatry interest group holds activities to help Michelle Heare medical students learn about the field of psychiatry [email protected] Psychiatry Interest and network with residents and attendings at UCI

Group and surrounding schools. We also provide a great opportunity to get to know classmates in other years who plan to pursue psychiatry. Michael Nguyentat Radiology Interest Radiology Interest Group exists to generate and cultivate interest in the field of Radiology, while also [email protected] Group helping those applying to Radiology residencies. The goal of SIMIG is to help students gain a better Beatrice Sun understanding of how simulation can be used in [email protected] medical curriculum to enhance learning and

Simulation Medicine knowledge retention. Whether you are learning to respond to a health emergency or treating an Interest Group infection, medical simulation can be integrated into many aspects of medical education and is relevant to a wide array of specialties, from Emergency Medicine to Pediatrics and Surgery! The Surgery Interest Group at the University of Jessica Gandy California, Irvine was formed to provide a venue for [email protected] students interested in the field of surgery to be Surgery Interest exposed to both the career and lifestyle of the Group surgical profession. The Surgery Interest Group is open and supportive to students interested in all surgical specialties and not just to those interested in General Surgery. Ultrasound Interest Group (USIG) encourages UCI Jamie Miller SOM students to develop and refine essential [email protected] ultrasound skills for their future medical careers. USIG is involved in ultrasound education through outreach activities, an additional ultrasound elective course to supplement the formal curriculum, and a large ultrasound conference (Ultrafest) that brings medical students together from various medical schools to learn ultrasound! Ultrasound Interest Fun fact: UCI is known far and wide for our innovative Group Ultrasound curriculum! Every year, USIG hosts Ultrafest, a one of a kind conference where students from all over the state come to our campus to learn Ultrasound from UCI students!

Our events teach students how to handle medical Sean Denny Wilderness cases when resources are limited in the wilderness. [email protected] The events focus on hands-on, simulation-based Medicine Interest Group training that explore a variety of potential wilderness medical scenarios.

Student Organizations There are many student organizations that students can get involved in at UCI! The great variety offers something for everyone, or you can event start your own student group!

Organization Description Contact Information

Represent UCI to other medical schools across the Rashi Singh country; learn about medical education models [email protected] AAMC-OSR across the nation; make sure all UCI students are aware of the resources the AAMC has to offer to medical students

American Medical Help advance issues of public wellness, community Axana Rodriguez-Torres Association – service, ethics, and health policy through writing [email protected] Medical Student resolutions and representing UCI-SOM at national Section (AMA- meetings William Minteer MSS) [email protected]

Advance women in medicine and improve women's Megan Bernstein American Medical health by providing and developing leadership, [email protected] Women’s advocacy, education, expertise, mentoring, and Association strategic alliances. Alyssa Lo [email protected]

Asian Pacific Offer opportunities to attend local and national Robi Bucayu American Medical conferences, work with UCI SOM's diversity [email protected] Student coalition, mentor the undergrad APAMSA chapter, Association mentor in the community, and work with community Nam Thai Chapter organizations/health fairs [email protected] (APAMSA)

Our group sets up a week long summer camp for Jonathan Lee high school students to stir interest in cardiology, ([email protected]) Camp Cardiac neurology, psychiatry, and medicine as a whole. and Cap Neuro Kevin Roy ([email protected])

Teach the Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, and Tara Zand Central Nervous Systems and promote higher [email protected] Doctors 4 education to underserved youth in Kindergarten- Diversity 5th grade; use portable ultrasounds to show 4th Pejman Majd and 5th graders the internal anatomy of the organ [email protected] systems

Guide and teach the medical students of UCI Robi Bucayu regarding the various issues regarding LGBTIQ [email protected] Health. This includes combating homophobia eQuality within the medical profession and in society, Jamie Yabuno promoting quality healthcare for LGBTIQ patients, [email protected] and to further understand the challenges faced by LGBTIQ patients and doctors.

FAIM seeks to provide a support network for Rachel Sunico Filipino-American residents, medical students, and [email protected] pre-meds who are underrepresented in medicine. Each month, medical students mentor Robi Bucayu undergraduates on the UC Irvine campus who are [email protected] interested in the health professions. Filipino- Luke Yu Americans in [email protected] Medicine

Interact with OBGYN attendings/residents and Isaure Hostetter Labor and observe procedures; streamlined sign up process [email protected] Delivery makes shadowing easily accessible to students Shadowing

Latino Medical Mentor, support, and represent the Latino Axana Rodriguez-Torres Student community in health care through advocacy, [email protected] Association mentorship and outreach programs (LMSA)

Major Groove is a hip-hop dance performing group. Helen Nepomuceno We traditionally have made appearances at the [email protected] statewide Med Games competition, Winter Formal, Major Groove and the Medapalooza Talent Show. Jennifer Anderson [email protected]

National program that works to improve medical Kathryn Barron student education and exposure to contraception, [email protected] Medical Students abortion, and reproductive health. Provides for Choice workshops, internships and other opportunities both at UCI and at hospitals across the country

Acapella group that has various performances Robert Bucayu throughout the year; provides music therapy for [email protected] MEDleys patients by bringing them holiday cheer Kimberly Vu [email protected]

Pairs first and second year medical students with Megan Bernstein chronically-ill pediatric patients as pals that visit [email protected] each other regularly for activities and outings; opportunity to be a child's mentor and friend and Alexa Love PALS learn about illnesses in pediatric population [email protected]

Mackenzie Cater [email protected]

UCI chapter of national PHR organization; work to Orli Florsheim Physicians for eliminate social inequality and injustice, particularly [email protected] Human Rights in the field of medicine; provide support to local (PHR) organizations striving to eliminate health disparities Navneet Kahlon [email protected]

Physicians for Learn more about and advocate for a national Sarah Cousins National Health single payer health plan (universal healthcare) [email protected] Program through talks and participation in a lobby day

Prepare the annual humanities journal, featuring Austin Momii Plexus Journal of work by patients, physicians, medical students, [email protected] Arts and and other members of the medical community Humanities Tiffany Pham [email protected]

We are a new organization of students who create Dhruba Banerjee Podcasters @ an audio podcast series to highlight fascinating [email protected] UCI topics in medicine.

The organization is focused on fostering a Faith Njoku community of students interested in integrative [email protected] Students for medicine and wellness and introducing education, Integrative mentorship, and clinical and career opportunities in Medicine the fields of IM. Students learn about the different practices in integrative medicine from professionals and patients involved in the field.

SNMA support current and future Kelley Butler underrepresented minority medical students, [email protected] Students National address the needs of underserved communities, Medical and increase the number of clinically excellent, Association culturally competent and socially conscious (SNMA) physicians. SNMA programs serve the health needs of underserved communities and communities of color.

Team KiPOW volunteers in Orange County Team KiPOW Board elementary schools on a weekly basis to teach ([email protected]) students about healthy living and exercise. Volunteers also eat lunch and exercise with these elementary students so that they can mirror these Team KiPOW mentors. The idea is, proving that face time with trusted mentors is an important aspect of making health change and can be an important tool to implement health policy.

Each year, UCISOM sends students across the Indonesia: Jon Lee globe to participate in ultrasound education [email protected] projects. In 2016, we sent students to Indonesia, Tanzania, Switzerland and Panama. Although the Tanzania: Megan Bernstein main research project is Ultrasound Education, [email protected] Ultrasound groups have been successful in launching other International research initiatives as well as community outreach Switzerland: Connor Byrne efforts. [email protected]

Panama: Ezequiel Andrade [email protected]

The UCI International Initiative assists with student Jessa Baker research abroad, ultrasound or other, during the [email protected] UCI International summer between first and second year. We are Initiative involved with helping students obtain MedEd Amanda Purdy

funding and making sure groups have [email protected] projects/IRBs/logistics in place prior to travel.

One day conference to expose undergraduates Bima Hasjim interested in medicine and other health fields to a [email protected] day in the life of a medical student; provide hands World of Medicine on clinical workshops, exposure to different Tara Zand specialties, mentoring, and admissions counseling [email protected]

Elective Classes UCI SOM offers many elective classes open to students from all years. There is no limit to how many electives can be taken. Generally, elective classes Some electives provide more hands on activities, which are are once a week for 8-10 usually capped to a certain number of students. Other electives weeks and are held during are presented in a lecture format, which are usually open to all lunch time (12-1pm) students and attendance is not limited. Elective credit is usually received by attending 80% of the classes. Most electives, with a few exceptions, are led by the medical students.

Elective Focus/Topics Covered

Examine the painting, Develop visual thinking by analyzing art and using this experience to enhance Examine the patient observational skills with patients.

Global Health Elective Learn about global health challenges and opportunities to advance health care abroad through lectures and by interacting with residents involved in international trips.

Health Policy Elective Develop an understanding of access and disparities in healthcare, types of healthcare systems, pharmaceutical companies, Affordable Care Act, insurance policies, and opportunities and challenges in an evolving healthcare environment

Literature and Medicine Importance of literature and other art forms in medicine; how to integrate art into medicine

Medical Spanish 1st year Spanish speaking medical students teach classmates medical Spanish at all levels

Nutrition Counseling This elective was created in order to teach medical students about nutrition topics Elective that they will frequently encounter with their patients. Lectures focus on dietary approaches to common medical conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. During each session, students apply what they have learned through doctor-patient role play scenarios. You will learn not only what is important for your MS1/2 Clinical Foundations exams, MS3 Clinical OSCEs, and Step 2 CS exam, but you will also (and most importantly) develop skills that you will use throughout your medical career...and be the best doctor you can be.

Social Medicine Elective Learn from speakers who will discuss social, cultural, and human rights issues as they pertain to the delivery of and access to healthcare

UTeach Elective Expand your experience and knowledge in Obstetrics thorough shadowing midwives, mentorship with OBGYN residents, as well as a series of lectures aimed to educate students on important topics such as innovations in reproductive health, abortion, contraception, and access to care

Ultrasound Elective Supplements ultrasound curriculum by exposing students to new skills and techniques

There is a Student Events google calendar! Use it to know what events are going at UCI SOM outside of the classroom. When you become more involved in organizing those events, add your events to

the calendar to avoid conflicts with events hosted by other student’s groups: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=5om3g0564o0gr6sgun8kpf81i8%40group.calendar.goo gle.com&ctz=America%2FLos_Angeles *Please DO NOT DELETE EVENTS, because they will delete the event from the entire calendar and not just your personal calendar. *

Count your hours. Treat med school like a job, and if you do quality work between breakfast and dinner you definitely can and should take the time to relax and be a normal human again Don’t get involved too quickly - you every day. don't want to take on too many roles Isaure Hostetter, Class of 2019 and become overwhelmed at the beginning of med school. It's better to figure out how much time you need for studying, then add on things that you can manage. - Alex Anshus, Class of 2019 1.

For those who may be prone to being over involved - hold off on joining too many activities right away because it can get overwhelming. Olivia Kaminsky, Class of 2019 Here's the best advice I have: If you learn how to manage your time properly, you have nothing to worry about. You won't be stressed or overwhelmed, and you'll have time to enjoy what you're learning and enjoy extra-curriculars. - Kevin Roy, Class of 2019

Be efficient with your time. (i.e. don’t waste it), study hard, eat well and exercise often. Kevin Labadie, Class of 2016 AMSG Co-President Matched at University of Washington General Surgery Heads up, you’re going to feel like a kid in a candy store! Being involved in so many different things is a lot of fun. Since our class of ~100 is relatively small, it is a fun way to get to know your classmates and become immersed in the Anteater community. Being involved has also taught me lessons that can’t be found inside the Enjoy the experiences and talks classroom like leadership, communication, provided - don't worry too much about and accountability. grades! Really only have to pass. Bima Hasjim, Class of 2019 Alyssa Lo, Class of 2019

UCI SOM Traditions & Activities

MS1/MS2 Powderpuff Game Lace up your cleats ladies! The annual MS1/MS2 powder-puff game puts both years to the test. Coached by your very own male classmates, complete with cheerleaders and half-time show.

MS1/2 Basketball Game This co-ed basketball game counts for all of the bragging rights. Participate in the game fun or come by to cheer on your classmates as the two teams battle it out at the ARC basketball courts.

Dodgeball Tournament Prepare yourselves for the most epic costume themed dodgeball tournament you’ll ever participate in. You heard me right, costume themed. So make create a co-ed team with five of your closest new friends, or stack your team with the best athletes the class has to offer and pick your team theme. Prizes are awarded to the tournament winners and team with the most awesome costumes.

Med Games Here’s where the real medical school rankings are made. Join in on the sports competition to end all sports competitions. All the Southern California med schools compete against one another in the sports competition to end all sports competitions. Join your classmates on teams for soccer, basketball, dodge ball, dance, and track. No guts, no glory, this one’s for all the marbles.

Exam Night Fundays Exams suck. Luckily, your 103 new friends are here to help make it better. After every exam the MS1 co-president’s plan a class wide event for fun, laughs, and lots of memories. Previous events have included lunches or dinners, trips to the beach, surfing, bar crawls, game nights, movie watches, and an epic cross campus scavenger hunt.

“Sextiles” These are the grown up versions of Monday Fundays. Sextiles are the party that occurs at the end of each eight-week rotation block for the MS3 and 4s. Planned by the MS3 co- presidents and usually hosted in Orange. Come out for a good time and a great chance to meet your awesome older classmates. (Origin of name “sextile”: nobody knows…)

Talent Show Faculty and students show off their most amazing talents and abilities at the UCI SOM talent show! So warm up those vocal cords, or just come by to cheer on your classmates as they perform amazing feats.

UCI SOM Retreat 2015 welcomed the revival of the annual UCI SOM retreat. It is a dynamic event, focusing on wellness and resiliency. There will be multi-disciplinary workshops, team building exercises, a large scale group competitive activity, social activity with DJ and dancing, and plenty of free time to relax. Faculty and medical students of all years congregate at the beautiful UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center.

UCI Halloween Party Start getting those costume ideas ready now, you’ll need them for the UCI SOM annual Halloween bash. Show of your creativity with an epic solo costume or group theme, and head on out for some fun and dancing with your classmates.

Winter Formal We clean up good. This classy event occurs every year in January and is open to students and dates. Featuring dancing, drinks, photo booths, and lots of fun. Last year, it was on a boat, man. So grab your nautical themed pashmina afghan.

Willed Body Memorial Service Anatomy is one of the most memorable and impactful classes you will ever take. It is unique in that not only is it a class that requires the efforts of the teacher and student, but also the gracious donations of those that have passed before us. After the final anatomy lab practical, it is tradition for the class to come together to reflect on the experience and pay respects to the donors. It is a humbling experience and a time to give thanks for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

World of Medicine Established in 2013, World of Medicine is an annual event that invites UCI undergrads to the medical campus. The day is full of workshops put on by various UCI SOM Interest Groups, mentoring, and gives a chance for pre-medical students to rub elbows with the admissions committee. It is a day for campus staff, medical students, faculty, and undergrad students to celebrate medicine and the entire UCI community!

Match Day Arguably the most exciting day of the year, Match Day is an annual activity that takes place simultaneously at all U.S. medical schools, involving about 28,000 graduating students. After endless hours of intense studying and clinical rotations, soon-to- graduate UC Irvine medical students saw their dreams come into focus on Match Day, March 18, when they learned where their careers as doctors will start.

School of Medicine Socials Turns out, there are other buildings on the medical campus filled with awesome researchers and graduate students. These socials are a mixer for all us cool nerdy kids to meet and talk science. They occur every quarter on the Med Ed patio and provide free food and drinks.

LGBTQIA Resources Contributors: Soe Thein eQuality eQuality is a medical student-run organization, whose mission is to guide and teach UCI medical students about the various issues concerning LGBTIQA health. This includes:

1) Combating homophobia within the medical profession and in society, 2) Promoting quality healthcare for LGBTIQA patients, and to further understand the challenges faced by LGBTIQA patients and doctors, and 3) Providing a safe space for LGBTIQA medical students and support those who have been challenged by discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. eQuality hosts social events during the year and helps coordinate lectures given to the medical student body. These lectures are typically offered through the electives run by medical students (Social Medicine, Physicians for Human Rights, etc.) or through the Clinical Foundations course series.

The UCI LGBT Resource Center

The UCI LGBT resource center is also a valuable resource for medical students. It is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming environment for UCI's diverse lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and ally communities. We raise awareness, increase visibility, and engage in advocacy regarding LGBTQIA issues.

For more information, please visit www.lgbtrc.uci.edu

Social Activities and Nightlife for LGBTQIA Students We are only a 45-min drive away from major cities, such as Los Angeles and San Diego, providing ample opportunities for social activities and nightlife for LGBTQIA community.

For more information, please visit: http://www.lgbtrc.uci.edu/resourcelibrary/OCLocalResources

For more information on these programs feel free to email us at: Matthew Gunther ([email protected]) or Soe Thein ([email protected]) Intramural Sports Contributor: Michael Butler

Intramurals at UCI are very similar to most college intramurals, and are tons of fun. There are countless sports/leagues available to choose from, each of which are usually offered one quarter per year. The more popular sports may be broken up into leagues of varying levels of competition, and every league will have a mix of undergraduates and graduate students filling its rosters. Most sports have about a 5 game season, followed by some sort of playoff tournament for teams that qualify. These teams are really what you make out of them: if you are committed and want to put in a lot of time your team can coordinate practices among themselves, and if you're not into that and just want to have some fun, you can just show up once a week for your games. Any team that wins the championship gets a glorious IM championship t-shirt. UCISOM has an impressive track record with IMs, with representation in most leagues and even some championships! So if you're interested at all and want to play with other med students, don't hesitate to ask around and someone will point you in the right direction. We're banking on you to continue our legacy!

For more information, please visit: http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/im/index.asp

Lorem Ipsum Dolor Issue #, Date

Dr. Jeffrey Suchard Dr. John Fox Dr. W. Wiechmann Associate Dean of Basic Assistant Dean of Associate Dean of Science Education Student Affairs Educational Technology Section 5: Curriculum Section

Dr. Julie Youm Instructional

Technologies Nandie Khahera Will Minteer Nadia Zuabi Pejman Majd Ms2 Ms2 Ms2 Ms2

Acknowledgements: Jamie Miller, MS3 Lauren Shreve, MS3

Year One Overview Jeffrey Suchard, M.D. Associate Dean, Basic Science Education

Hello! My name is Jeff Suchard, and I am the Associate Dean for Basic Science Education here at UC Irvine Health School of Medicine. Today I want to give you a glimpse into your first year of medical school at UC Irvine. We are working hard to ensure that the pre-clerkship curriculum is clinically relevant and prepares our students well for their future careers.

Starting in the 2015-16 academic year, the UC Irvine Health School of Medicine will be following our novel iTEACH curriculum. iTEACH is an acronym that stands for: Integrated, Technology-Enhanced, Activity-Coordinated, and Humanistic, helping the school to focus its educational vision. In addition, iTEACH is a declarative statement (i.e., “I teach”) from the faculty regarding their role in the process. The overarching goals of the iTEACH curriculum are:

1. To teach content in an integrated fashion within educational blocks which limit the number of concurrent courses and standardizes examination systems. 2. To provide a technology-enhanced learning environment, capitalizing on UC Irvine’s national expertise in digital-based education, ultrasound, and simulation. 3. To give students an activity-coordinated curriculum that emphasizes early clinical training through the use of advanced instructional technologies and a patient-centered pre-clinical clerkship. 4. To develop physicians with life-long humanistic values by emphasizing the art of medicine, medical humanities, compassionate patient care, effective communication, and diversity awareness.

In the 2015-16 year, orientation for first-year students will begin in early August. The first block is “Normal Human Structure & Function,” which includes Anatomy & Embryology, Histology, and Physiology. We believe it’s important to get students into the Anatomy lab as soon as feasible, to start the training that is clearly and directly clinically-oriented. The Anatomy component carries over into the “Mind & Brain” block, since Anatomy of the Head and Neck regions correlate well with Neuroscience, Behavioral Science and Medical Ethics. The final basic science block of the first year is “Molecular Basis of Medicine,” which combines instruction in Biochemistry with Human Genetics and introduces concepts key to understanding neoplasia (cancer biology), preparing students for their introduction to Pathology at the beginning of the following year.

Throughout the first year, students also take the Clinical Foundations I course, which rounds out your medical education with instruction in obtaining a patient’s history, performing physical examination, medical documentation, inter-professional teamwork, and the fundamentals of epidemiology and biostatistics. Students also train frequently in simulation, both with standardized patients and in our high-fidelity Simulation Laboratory.

UC Irvine is also known for its longitudinal Clinical Ultrasound curriculum that occurs throughout all four years of medical school. Our new Patient-Centered clinical clerkship (PACE) begins toward the end of the MS1 year, and continues through the MS2 year. In the PACE program, students get weekly, clinical instruction from their primary care physician mentors, patients, and clinical practices. PACE provides an opportunity to see real medicine in action and to hone clinical skills, during a time traditionally dedicated only to classroom instruction. Over the summer, between the MS1 and MS2 years, students have time off to pursue research or other dedicated extracurricular activities. I hope this gives you a quick overview of your first year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Interactive Learning Julie Youm, PhD Division of Educational Technology

A large effort has been undertaken to improve the active learning experiences in the medical school curriculum. Two ways in which this has been approached is through greater flipped classroom and small-group learning experiences. To support the flipped classroom, the School of Medicine opened a media studio in the Medical Education Building where faculty and students can come to record high-quality video podcasts. There have also been efforts for more faculty/student-generated content such as iBooks, multi-touch, interactive digital textbooks. Reviewing didactic content ahead of time via podcasts and iBooks allows in-person class time to be used for presentation of clinical cases, simulations, interactive discussions, and small-group activities. Physiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Histology and Neuroscience are examples of courses that have integrated flipped classroom and/or small-group active learning opportunities using various modalities to improve student engagement.

“I have found the flipped classroom and small group sessions to be a particularly valuable portion of the UCI Curriculum. It is quite refreshing to break the typical mold of didactic lecture and have real discussions on cases and questions with my peers. I often find my strengths and weaknesses during these sessions, which has proven invaluable while studying for exams on a time budget. I’m incredibly grateful that we have people behind the scenes organizing these efforts!” -Adam Kalawi MS2 Ultrasound in Medical Education Chris Fox, MD Assistant Dean, Student Affairs Director of Instructional Ultrasound

With the advent of battery-powered, hand-held ultrasound machines, medical students can peer through the skin at internal organs to see abnormalities without exposing patients to radiation. Our mission is to provide medical students with bedside ultrasound skills at the point of care by integrating these skills throughout their medical school training. Ultrasound in Medical Education has the potential not only to enhance the learning experience for students, but also to improve the quality of patient care provided.

The Clinical Foundations of Ultrasound is the first stage of a four-year integration of the Ultrasound in Medical Education curriculum. By learning the physics and optimization of ultrasound image acquisition, it serves as an introduction to live ultrasound anatomy and physiology. This helps students connect what they learn in basic science courses, anatomy laboratory, and basic clinical foundations and provides additional opportunities to practice patient-physician communication and draping techniques. This is achieved through participation in a series of hands-on sessions led by senior medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. Students are evaluated periodically throughout the year including on the OSCE exam. There is a robust ultrasound elective during the preclinical years for students who want to learn even more!

In the third year, clerkship-focused training prepares students at the patients' bedside through the support of dedicated faculty in the respective departments. All educational scans conducted by students are recorded as video-clips, and reviewed with the students.

By the time students are in their fourth year, there is a dedicated emergency ultrasound four-week elective. Students perfect image acquisition and interpretation throughout large range of applications in the emergency department. Fourth year students can sign up for a month long ultrasound elective that is in the specialty of their choice. In this clerkship, students focus on the various procedures and techniques specific to their specialty. All educational scans conducted by students are recorded as live images, stored in a central system, and reviewed with the students by Dr. J. Christian Fox, Director of Instructional Ultrasound in Medical Education.

By the end of medical school, students have over 50 hours of hands-on experience with ultrasound and demonstrate proficiency on over 10 applications of point-of-care ultrasound. International Ultrasound Initiative Allison Zha, Bradley Jacobsen, Anjali Hari MS4’s

Congrats and welcome to UCI! During the summer between first and second year, you will have time off as dedicated vacation time. Students engage in a variety of activities during this time, from research to volunteering to travel. One of the strengths of UCI is our summer international ultrasound initiative. Every summer, about 40% of the first year medical school class travel all over the world to teach ultrasound to medical students and physicians, participate in ultrasound- related research, and to learn about healthcare and medicine in other countries. We have had teams travel to every continent (except Antarctica), including Panama, Brazil, Turkey, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Vietnam, India and Australia.

While some of these trips have been going on for several years, we also have new projects being established every year. Teams of 3-10 students participate in these projects, which last from 4-8 weeks. These projects are student-led, which means you will have the flexibility to design your own curriculum and research project. But don’t worry, UCI will provide you with the resources for a successful trip, from ultrasound training sessions that start your first month of medical school, to lending you portable ultrasound machines to take abroad.

You will be able to hear more about these projects at the club fair during the first couple weeks of medical school, with more info sessions throughout the Fall. Most teams are formed by January, after which students start preparing for their summers by creating their ultrasound curriculum and drafting their IRBs and research proposals. Additionally, students fundraise for their trips through grants and online fundraising platforms, and spend the last few months preparing to leave the country (i.e. by applying for visas and receiving immunizations).

If you talk to anyone who has gone on an ultrasound summer trip, chances are they will have nothing but positive things to say about it. These trips allow students to explore unique research projects, share their ultrasound knowledge, and gain invaluable insight into cultures different from their own. Get ready to have the time of your life!

Panama

Tanzania

Australia

Brazil

Turkey

Vietnam

Research at UC-Irvine School of Medicine

Research in medical school has become an incredibly important aspect of the education process and a centerpiece in strong residency applications. The University of California, Irvine is among the top 50 institutions for NIH grant funding, and the UCI School of Medicine is ranked in the top 50 medical schools for research in the nation. UCI offers many exciting opportunities for medical students to participate in basic science and clinical research. The faculty and staff involved in clinical and basic research are incredibly receptive to medical students participating in their research projects, and are available via email. Below is a list of every department complete with faculty and staff research interests and contacts: UCI SOM Departments

UCI MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program) and UCI AMIG (Academic Medicine Interest Group) both host multiple Distinguished Faculty Research Lectures to help students gain insight to various research topics here at UCI and other institutions. If you’re interested in a specific specialty (i.e. Emergency Medicine or Orthopedics), the interests groups in each specialty host faculty speed dating, faculty lectures, and research specific dinners which provide the opportunity to meet and learn about a professor and their research projects (see the interest groups section).

Summer Research Funding

The UCI School of Medicine Dean’s Office Summer Research Fellowship Program provides competitive sources of stipends for students who wish to participate in research projects at UCI, with special attention paid to opportunities which span two-months of full-time research. Lists of available faculty sponsors and their research interests are provided to aid students in their search for a sponsor. Students submit a brief (maximum two pages) research proposal to apply for Dean’s Office funding which undergo faculty committees review. A list of external funding sources of support for student research is also made available and staff assistance is provided to students interested in applying for funding.

For more information regarding external summer research funding opportunities, research at UCI SOM, and contact information for students who are currently participating in research/have participated in research visit the UCI Academic Medicine Interest Group (AMIG) website.

Research Presentations

In addition to providing extensive research opportunities, the UCI SOM and UCI AMIG provide constant updates with information pertaining to national and local research conferences. The UCI SOM provides yearly funding for each student to attend or present research at national conferences. In addition, UCI AMIG hosts a yearly Student Research Lecture Series, providing students with the opportunity to present their research projects and experiences.

Contact Lauren Shreve ([email protected]) for more information. Dual Degrees at Irvine (5-6 Year Programs)

Information Irvine offers several great dual degree program options. The MBA, MS-BATS, and MPH programs are all one year in duration, and are traditionally taken between the third and fourth clinical years. Most programs generally offer 10 guaranteed spots for MD students, however, they have accepted more in the past based on numbers of interested and exceptional candidates. http://www.som.uci.edu/graduate- studies/education/dual-degree.asp

Applying The application for each of these programs typically occurs at the end of the second year of medical school. However, some programs do allow for applications during the third year. Students considering applying to any program must be in good standing and approved by the medical school. The application consists of a CV, 2-3 letters of recommendation (either from pre-medical school or medical school), personal statement, and an interview. No additional standardized testing (i.e. GRE), are required to apply to these programs. Please see the website of the program below for specific and updated application requirements.

Master’s of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science (MD/MS-BATS) MS-BATS is a clinical research training program offering a one-year accelerated interdisciplinary clinical research education aimed at developing the skills to conduct, interpret, evaluate and apply clinical research. The curriculum aims to develop a comprehensive training to turn basic and clinical research into improved patient care. Courses include training in statistics, health policy and politics, clinical epidemiology, instruction on health and healthcare, clinical trial analysis and design, grant writing, and many others. The flexibility of the current curriculum design and faculty mentorship encourages students with various clinical interests to enhance their training through electives and specific research focused towards their future chosen specialty. Students will complete and defend a master’s thesis at the end of the program. http://www.som.uci.edu/bats/ http://som.uci.edu/graduate-studies//Degree%20Programs/ms-bats-program.asp

Master’s of Business Administration (MD/MBA) UCI’s MD/MBA program began in 1998, making it one of the oldest MD/MBA programs in the US. This program is geared toward students who seek a career as physicians with major responsibility in administration and management of healthcare organizations and institutions. Course requirements include 11 core business classes such as finance, statistics, marketing, economics and accounting. About half of the curriculum is student chosen elective courses, with multiple medically related subjects available each term. The business school class size is 100 students per year, with an emphasis on team building and group work by splitting the students into smaller sections for each class. The Paul Merage School of Business in currently rated number 53 in the country, and did we mention Paul Merage is the founder of the Hot Pocket? Nomz. http://www.meded.uci.edu/mdmba/

Master’s of Public Health (MD/MPH) UCI’s MD/MPH program was started in 2013 and aims to train physicians on the changing public health needs of the world. The five-year dual degree program is aimed at high-achieving and motivated students who are interested in improving the health of individuals and addressing issues that affect the public’s health. Curriculum includes courses in the subjects of environmental health, epidemiology, as well as sociocultural diversity and health. Students will complete and defend a master’s thesis at the end of the program. http://www.meded.uci.edu/mdmph/

Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC) A crucial mission of the UCI School of Medicine is to educate highly qualified physicians to serve the diverse populations of California. This five-year dual-degree program responds to an increasing demand for physician-leaders who are culturally sensitive and linguistically competent to address the specific needs of California's Latinos. PRIME-LC students can elect to pursue any master’s degree they feel will aid them in becoming a physician-leader for the Latino community. Students may choose to complete a masters program at UCI or elsewhere, provided acceptance. Students typically pursue their master’s degree between their 3rd and 4th years of medical school. PRIME-LC students come from diverse backgrounds but all demonstrate a commitment to service and solid conversational Spanish. The PRIME-LC supplemental application is part of the UCI School of Medicine secondary application and applicants selected for interviews are required to complete a third interview in Spanish. http://www.meded.uci.edu/primelc/

Dual Degrees at Irvine (7+ Year Programs)

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (MD/Ph.D.) Applications and acceptance into the MSTP program occurs concurrently with MD application through the AMCAS application system, except with special circumstances. Students admitted to the MSTP program will take a minimum of seven years to complete the requirements for the two degrees. Medical scientist students generally complete two years of the medical school curriculum, and then enter their Ph.D. research years. Each Ph.D. curriculum is specifically designed for the individual student following guidelines agreed upon by the participating academic units. All medical scientist students will receive on-going curricular guidance from the Program Director. To return to the clinical years (years three and four) a student must have completed all of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, including preparation and defense of the thesis. http://mstp.uci.edu/

Dual Degrees Away (5-6 Year Programs)

UCI Medical Students can enroll in dual graduate degrees outside of the UCI system. Application deadlines and requirements vary based on the desired program and location. Typically, an additional standardized test will be required, and all masters programs are typically two years in length.

Contact Nadia Zuabi ([email protected]), Kevin Nee ([email protected]), William Minteer ([email protected]), and Nandie Khahera ([email protected]) for more information.

Academic Advice

Adjusting to a new city is even more difficult when you also have to adjust to a new curriculum, pace, and load. Below is some advice to getting you off the ground academically!

How to approach anatomy - study ahead! Nathan Calixto, Class of 2019 Balance academics by doing things that you love continuously throughout the school year Olivia Kaminski, Class of 2019 Use high yield resources outside of the school's curriculum. Adam Kalawi, Class of 2018

Focus on learning the important concepts and the big picture. Borna Dabiri, Class of 2016 Even if you prefer to study alone make time to do some group studying. You'll do better on your tests and it's therapeutic to socialize a little during stressful test blocks. Nadia Zuabi, Class of 2019 Relax and don't take school too seriously to the point that you drive yourself insane. It is only first year! Learn to have a balanced schedule! Nam Thai, Class of 2019

Study to retain long term and forget about individual test scores. Enjoy first year and get out and meet people. Ashton Christian, Class of 2017

Remember that life keeps going! Don't get too bogged down in studying. Britanny Winckler, Class of 2016

Always try your best. Average in medical school is way above average in the real world. Reach out to loved ones when you have a rough day. Christine Panganiban, Class of 2016 Don't sweat the academics so much because you'll have more relevant chances to shine in the upcoming years. Brianna Williams, Class of 2019

Pass. Just pass. Pass, pass, and pass. Not everyone in medical school is going to be a top- of-the-class scorer, and that's perfectly fine. What matters is you do well on your rotations, and that you score well on your USMLE Step 1 exams. Those are both entirely different skillsets from passing your classes. John Jiao, Class of 2019

Figure out how to study, the first few months is all about learning how you learn best! Jon Lee, Class of 2019

Section 6: Clinical Exposure

Dr. W. Wiechmann Dr. J. Suchard Dr. C. Ricks Associate Dean of Associate Dean of Director of Clinical Clinical Sciences Basic Sciences Simulation Center Clinical Foundations Clinical Foundations (CF) is a longitudinal clinical medicine course that spans all four years of medical school. Through this course, medical students learn the fundamental clinical skills necessary to communicate with patients, colleagues, and healthcare professionals. Clinical faculty members at UCI School of Medicine serve as mentors throughout the entire process, and consistently provide individual feedback to improve the learning experience.

Students are placed in small groups (approximately 3-4 students) led by a UCI physician, and typically meet once every week or two in the Clinical Skills Center. Additionally, students can expect to have periodic ultrasound training sessions, large group discussions on important health topics, and realistic simulations through the inter-professional team critical incident training (ITCI) program. ITCI encourages medical students and nursing students to learn how to effectively work as a team through the use of simulation technology.

First Year

First year medical students can expect to learn how to conduct a comprehensive medical interview, perform a physical examination, and document clinical encounters. Students are evaluated on their ability to follow the course objectives through an Observed Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). During this exam, students demonstrate their ability to obtain a complete medical history and perform organ-specific physical examinations.

At the beginning of the year, there is a 3- day clinical immersion program where students are assigned to shadow a team of physicians and medical students in the hospital. Specialties include Internal Medicine, Surgery, OB/GYN, Oncology, Neurology, and many more.

A pre-clinical clerkship called “PACE” (PAtient CEntered) starts in the last 10 weeks of the school year. This program is designed to give students a taste of the clinical clerkships that begin in the third year. Students will spend each Wednesday with an assigned faculty mentor (ideally in primary care) to gain clinical exposure and to hone their clinical exam skills. Furthermore, this program allows students to spend quality time at a physician’s practice and gain a deeper understanding of that specialty.

For more information, visit this webpage. Second Year

Second year medical students can expect to expand on the skills gained in the previous year through additional didactic lectures and small group interactions. Students build upon their history-taking skills and learn clinical reasoning to develop potential diagnoses. Furthermore, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of pathology and pharmacology in their medical encounters. Students will also continue to evaluate their progress through periodical OSCEs.

PACE (PAtient CEntered) will continue as PACE II for the first 20 weeks of the school year. Students will continue to spend every Wednesday learning from their same mentor from PACE I during this time.

For more information, visit this webpage

Third Year

Third year students will spend 2 weeks solidifying the skills learned in CF I and CF II before embarking on the third year clerkships. Students will need to demonstrate the ability to perform a full history and physical examination, draw differential diagnoses, perform a full write-up and SOAP note, perform basic clinical skills (e.g. suturing), interpret radiologic and laboratory results, and communicate effectively with patients and colleagues. Throughout the year, students will continue to evaluate their progress through clerkship-specific OSCEs (surgery, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Neuroscience). Additionally, UCI will be incorporating “inter-sessions” into the school year. These sessions will allow students to meet back together as a class to learn hot topics pertaining to the clinical clerkships and to discuss the social aspects of medicine (e.g. healthcare policy, business of medicine, cultural issues, etc.).

For more information, visit this webpage

Fourth Year

Fourth year students can expect to prepare for life as a physician by working with colleagues and allied healthcare professionals in on-call scenarios. At the beginning of the year, fourth year medical students take a Clinical Practice Exam (CPX) to assess their communication, history taking skills, and physical examination skills.

Clinical Skills Center

The Clinical Skills Center (CSC) is the primary location of clinical education at UCI School of Medicine. It is located on the second floor of the Medical Education (MedEd) Building, and includes 17 patient rooms and three acute-care simulation rooms. This one-of-a-kind facility is where students interact with clinical instructors and standardized patients to gain valuable skills in a clinical setting. Students complete the objectives of the Clinical Foundations course by learning how to take a medical history, perform physical exams, and learn bedside ultrasound techniques. All clinical encounters are recorded, and students are able to evaluate their performance with faculty.

To learn more about the Clinical Skills Center, please visit this website

Simulation Center Cameron Ricks, MD Director, Medical Education Simulation Center

The UC Irvine Medical Education Simulation Center is a 3,000 square foot high fidelity simulation center housed on the University of California Irvine main campus and within the Medical Education Building at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. The Medical Education Simulation Center educates and facilitates medical school education for the medical students enrolled at UC Irvine School of Medicine. The center offers a full-scale operating room, emergency room trauma bay, clinical ward, and intensive care unit. The floor plan allows for specific simulated patient care areas or the ability to use as a general space for lecture/small group activities/problem-based learning. Moreover, the Medical Education Simulation Center also facilitates training for UC Irvine Medical Center residency programs and the community.

Mission

To provide state-of-the-art health care education and research using medical simulation technology to promote superior clinical care and patient safety by delivering quality immersive education to healthcare professionals and the community.

Statistics

6800 total learners (523 learners/month avg) 10,790 total simulation education contact hours (all learners)

Services (in addition to medical student education)

• Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) • Simulation Instructor Training Course (SITC) • Simulation Operations Planning and Management (SOPM) • Simulation Programming • Curriculum Development • Simulation Research • Simulation Fellowship • Basic Life Support (BLS) • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Clinical Clerkships

Orange County and its neighboring cities are quite diverse, despite what reality TV shows like the “Real Housewives” and “The OC” might portray. As a third year medical student (which may seem far off now, but will sneak up on you soon!), you’ll get to experience the diversity Southern California has to offer while you apply your medical knowledge and clinical skills through clinical clerkships. This is an excellent opportunity for medical students to explore various medical specialties at some of the finest healthcare locations in California. At UCI SOM, you will experience what it is like to work in various medical settings, from academic institutions to private practices all throughout Orange County and Long Beach. Listed here are a few of the major clinical training sites that you will rotate through as a UCI medical student.

UC Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC)

101 City Drive, Orange, CA 92868

Clinical Clerkship Rotations: Inpatient Medicine, Neurology, OB/GYN, Psychiatry & Substance Abuse, Surgery

UC Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC) is the primary teaching location for UCI medical students. It is ranked as the best hospital in Orange County, and has been rated one of the nation’s best hospitals by US News and World Report for the past 14 years. Because UCIMC houses the only Level I trauma center and a level II pediatric trauma center in Orange County, you can expect to have a unique experience as you rotate through this hospital. Additionally, UCIMC is the home of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC), which is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)- designated cancer center in Orange County.

Places at the UCIMC that you should know about:

• UC Irvine Douglas Hospital • Level I Trauma Center • Regional Burn Center • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center • UC Irvine Neuropsychiatric Center • Comprehensive Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center

VA Long Beach

5901 E. 7th St., Long Beach, CA 90822

Clinical Clerkship Rotations: Inpatient medicine, Psychiatry & Substance Abuse, Surgery

The VA Long Beach Healthcare System is one of the main teaching locations for UCI SOM students and provides a wide range of services for more than 50,000 Veterans. The VA provides exceptional healthcare to the Veteran community, and prides itself on focusing on prevention and population health. By rotating through this unique healthcare setting, students are able to enhance their clinical education through hands-on learning.

Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)

1201 W. La Veta, Orange, CA 92867

Clinical Clerkship Rotation: Pediatrics, Neurology

The Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) is a premier Pediatric healthcare institution located in the heart of Orange, CA. CHOC has grown into its role as the largest pediatric healthcare provider in the county and has been ranked one of the best children’s hospitals by US News & World Report. With nationally distinguished programs in Oncology, Pulmonology, Neonatology, and many other pediatric subspecialties, CHOC provides students with the opportunity to see innovative healthcare at its finest.

Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital 2801 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90806

Clinical Clerkship Rotations: Pediatrics, OB/GYN

The MemorialCare Health System is a primary healthcare provider in Long Beach, CA and includes the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and the adjacent Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. These clinical training sites provide a wide range of medical and surgical services, and are well known for their various MemorialCare Institutes and Centers.

The Memorial Care Center for Women has received recognition as one of the safest places to have a baby in California. This center also specializes in treating high-risk infants at its level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one of the largest in California.

Additional Clinical Training Sites:

Family Health Center- Anaheim and Santa Ana Anaheim location: 300 Carl Karcher Way, Anaheim, CA 92801 Rotations: Family Medicine, Pediatrics

Santa Ana location: 800 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Rotations: Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics

UC Irvine Health Gottschalk Medical Plaza

1 Medical Plaza Drive, Irvine, CA 92697 Clinical Clerkship Rotation: Ambulatory Medicine ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, we wish to express our sincerest gratitude towards Dr. Ellena Peterson, for her unwavering support of this student-initiated project. Thank you for always advocating on our behalf and for regularly offering your assistance to make this Welcome Guide a reality.

We would like to include a special thanks to Adam Kalawi, Jamie Miller, and Lauren Shreve. Without their incredible foresight and commitment to writing and designing a large portion of the original Welcome Guide, the second edition would not be possible. We appreciate all the dedication you had towards creating this wonderful resource for our UCI SOM community.

As this was a collaborative effort, we would also like to thank our classmates for their contributions. None of this would have been possible without the efforts and enthusiasm of our colleagues and classmates Orli Florsheim, Jess Lin, Nandie Khahera, Nam Thai, Chelsea Lam, Alyssa Lo, Alex Anshus, John Jiao, Katrina Lee, Luke Yu, Katy Lunny, Borna Dabiri, Olivia Kaminsky, Katrina Lee, Will Minteer, Nadia Zuabi, Jon Lee, Briana Williams, Druba Banerjee, Ryan Gibney, Elisa Zhang, Ruzan Orkusyan, Nare Torosyan, Mahta Baghoolizadeh, Chris Vo, Lauren Rosario, Michael Butler, Nick Taylor, Michael Bernaba, Soe Thein, Matt Gunther, Allison Zha, Brad Jacobsen, and Anjali Hari.

Finally, we would like to express appreciation to our faculty and administration for their support and contributions. It is remarkable to to have faculty who not only encourage student-initiated projects, but who also make an effort to assist in these projects despite their relentless schedules.

Thank You All!