On Feb. 8–10, 2019, the USC-Caltech MD-PhD program held a retreat at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Catalina Island. The retreat, the first since 2004, was attended by 32 current students, speakers, program directors and staff.

The event included a poster session and two panel discussions focused on alternative career paths and work-life integration. Alumni of the MD-PhD program — including Allen Yang, Devin Wiley, Kiran Nimmagadda, Brian Wu and Julie Jang — participated in the panel discussions. Keck School of Medicine of USC faculty member Nuria Pastor-Soler, MD, PhD, also participated in both panels. Ram Kumar Subramanyan, MD, was the keynote speaker. Additionally, Karl Huggins, manager of the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, led a seminar about the facility and its uses, followed by a tour of the chamber. The attendees also had the opportunity to explore Catalina Island and participate in various activities.