OPTI West Program

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Analyst Verified · Oct 3, 2026

OPTI West Program

OPTI West Program is a residency program specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, located in Pomona, California, directed by Justin R. Phillips, MD and coordinated by Karla Cairoli. The program accepts applications through November 15, 2026 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (909) 596-7733. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Based at Casa Colina Hospital in Pomona, this is a hospital-based, community-rooted PM&R program built around a comprehensive rehabilitation continuum rather than a single acute-care hospital, spanning inpatient acute rehab, a transitional living center, outpatient musculoskeletal and neurological clinics, and interventional pain services under one campus. Residents carry substantial procedural volume (200+ EMG studies, Botox for spasticity, ultrasound, peripheral joint injections) and treat a caseload concentrated in Casa Colina's signature TBI, SCI, and stroke populations, with added pediatric exposure via a two-month rotation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The onsite Casa Colina Research Institute embeds residents in clinical rehabilitation research with dedicated space and mentorship, and graduate outcomes show a heavy tilt toward subspecialty fellowship training (pain, brain injury, neuromuscular, spine/MSK) alongside some general physiatry practice. The program's emphasis on long-term patient follow-up across the care continuum, gait rounds with prosthetists, and structured board review suggests it values residents who want depth in complex neurorehabilitation and procedural skill-building over broad generalist community exposure.

Who it fits

An applicant drawn to complex neurologic rehabilitation (TBI, SCI, stroke) who wants heavy procedural exposure and a built-in pathway toward pain, spine, or brain injury fellowship training within a continuum-of-care model.

Research intensity

Moderate - available and encouraged through the onsite Casa Colina Research Institute with mentorship and conference funding, but not described as an expected output for all residents.

Career orientation

Mixed - Fellowship, Community Practice

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