Residency Program

UCI ENT Residency | Living in Orange County

Residents typically live in Orange, Seal Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and other nearby communities. San Diego and Los Angeles are within a reasonable driving distance and can provide an opportunity to explore different aspects of Southern California living.

An attractive attribute to training in Southern California is the weather. Orange County weather is usually typically warm and sunny most of the year. and the summer weather is usually a sunny 85 degrees, and winter weather usually does not dip much below 60 degrees during the day.

The lifestyle of a typical Californian varies from person to person, but generally, an active, healthy lifestyle is the rule rather than the exception. Most people find the outdoors a resplendent getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday hospital life. Orange County can be a starting point for a trip to the beach or to the mountains for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking or hiking. It has often been said that living in Orange County permits its residents to surf in the morning, go skiing during the day, and return for a dinner on the beach all in the same day! 

Check out the links below to find things to do in Southern California!

The Ocean:

Orange County's Best Beaches

The Mountains:

Orange County Hiking Trails

The Desert:

11 Places you have to see in the California Desert

Things To Do:

Things to do in Orange County

Dr. Ethan Muhonen, Class of 2023

"Living and training in Orange County provides endless opportunities - there's something for almost everyone here. As someone from Colorado who loves adventure sports, it's been a blast learning to surf and enjoy the ocean, and there's still mountains to play in a quick drive away. There is a tremendous amount of diversity in both the clinical contexts we are exposed to and the patient populations we serve."

Here are some photos of our residents enjoying themselves:

Dr. Elaine Martin, Class of 2024

"I ranked UCI highly on my list because it is a tight-knit program with strong relationships between both residents and attendings. There is a wide range of clinical experiences between UCI, CHOC, Kaiser, and the VA. And being in Orange County doesn't hurt!"