West Los Angeles VA Medical Center

The West Los Angeles VA Medical Center is a 500-bed hospital complex (not including the nursing home and domiciliary) affiliated with the UCLA School of Medicine. Over 230 residents are currently completing training in 20 specialties. The Psychiatric Section is a 125-bed service, with emphasis on acute intensive care, which offers a wide range of treatment and investigative approaches for patients with acute and chronic illness. The diverse inpatient, partial hospital, and outpatient services include both general and specialized (for patients with schizophrenia, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, alcoholism and substance abuse, family problems, geriatric mental disorders, neurobehavioral disorders, and mixed medical-psychiatric disorders) treatment units.

Extensive rehabilitation services are available for patients with chronic illness. Community psychiatry outreach programs are also available. The resident has the opportunity to gain experience with all of the major psychiatric syndromes, to learn to work within a team structure, and to gain exposure to a full variety of clinical treatment modalities. We encourage residents to collaborate with faculty on research projects as time and other resources allow.