How to Apply to the Internal Medicine Residency Program

UC San Diego selects its residents through ERAS and the National Resident Matching Program.

We will not extend interview invitations until Tuesday, October 8, 2019. The interview dates for the 2019-2020 recruitment year are as follows.

Thursday, October 17
Monday, October 21
Tuesday, October 22
Thursday, October 24
Monday, October 28 - Diversity date
Tuesday, October 29 - Diversity and Primary Care track date
Thursday, October 31 - Diversity date
Monday, November 4
Tuesday, November 5
Thursday, November 7
Tuesday, November 12 - Diversity and Primary Care track date
Thursday, November 14 - Diversity date
Monday, November 18
Tuesday, November 19
Thursday, November 21 - Physician Scientiest Training Pathway date
Monday, December 2 - Diversity date
Tuesday, December 3 - Diversity date
Thursday, December 5
Monday, December 9
Tuesday, December 10
Thursday, December 12 - Primary Care track date
Monday, December 16
Tuesday, December 17
Thursday, December 19

For samples of our contract, terms and conditions, intern appointment letter and intern acceptance letter, please view the documents below.

2019-20_Terms and Conditions.pdf

Terms and Conditions 2020-2021.pdf

Candidates interested in the Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP), the research residency pathway, should indicate their interest on the ERAS application form. Please provide a short essay outlining prior research experience, publications and areas of research interest. Also, indicate subspecialty, research and faculty laboratories which suit your interests.

Candidates applying for the PSTP are encouraged to plan a two-day interview at UC San Diego. The first day will consist of visiting the residency training program and the second day visiting the research program, faculty and laboratories. PSTP Interviews will be scheduled in conjunction with the traditional interviewing sessions for all tracks. Individuals enter the PSTP upon application to the residency training program with concurrent acceptance into the research fellowship program.

For specific questions regarding a PSTP application or PSTP research opportunities, please contact Renate Pilz, MD or Anne Bamrick-Rosenblatt. 

Physicians interested in advanced-level positions should contact imtrain@ucsd.edu by the first week in December. Availability of these positions varies from year to year.

Our application deadline is October 1 of each recruitment year. We will not accept ERAS applications past this deadline.

We generally receive approximately 3,500 completed applications per year and interview approximately 600 applicants. Our residency recruitment committee reviews all applications, evaluating multiple factors including:

• General academic performance.
• Clinical performance (particularly in internal medicine and related rotations).
• Letters of recommendation.
• Personal qualities and achievements.

In order to complete your file, we require:

1. Your Dean's letter.
2. Your medical school transcript.
3. Your USMLE/ National Board scores, Step I and II (Step II if available, however not mandatory for application review). Please note that we do not accept COMLEX in lieu of USMLE.
   
4. Three separate letters of recommendation from the following individuals:
   1. The Department Chairman in Medicine (or his/her designee).
   2. An internal medicine faculty member.
   3. A faculty member of your choice.

We will accept additional letters via ERAS if you have them available. If applying for the Combined Medicine/Pediatrics program, please provide four letters of recommendation, two from medicine and two from pediatrics, one each being from the Chair, Program Director or Clerkship Director representing each specialty. If you receive interview invitations from both Medicine and the Combined Medicine/Pediatrics program, please contact us; you only need to complete one interview to be considered for both programs.

Recommendation letters should be addressed according to ERAS instructions.

Medical students interested in serving a clerkship/elective at UC San Diego may contact visitingstudents@ucsd.edu in Undergraduate Medical Education for application material.

Visiting Student Clinical Elective Scholarship Opportunities

UC San Diego welcomes students from all diverse backgrounds to apply for away clerkships. In doing so, the Department of Medicine may provide qualified students various visiting elective scholarships through the Visiting Elective Scholarship Program (VESP) to help ease the transition into an away rotation.

Eligibility

• Eligible students are full-time, fourth-year medical students in good standing at accredited U.S. medical schools. Students remain registered at their own schools while participating in the four-week elective clerkship at UC San Diego.

Application

• Before applying to the VESP, each student must complete an application form VSAS.

For more information regarding deadlines, eligibility requirements, and specific stipend information, please visit the Department of Medicine VESP application page.

Requirements for international medical graduates who wish to pursue postgraduate training in medicine are:

1. Possess a current ECFMG certificate. Your questions regarding certification and examination should be addressed with ECFMG:
   
   

   ECFMG
   3624 Market Street
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
   215-386-5900
   
   

2. Pass USMLE Steps 1 and 2. Applicants with failures on USMLE will not be considered for training in our program. You must have a medical school graduation date within 5 years of start of internship.
   
   
3. Secure a J-1 Visa through ECFMG with issuance of IAP-66. The Department of Medicine does not support the H1B Visa for residency training.
   
   
4. As discussed above in Application Procedure, our program participates in ERAS and does not send information via U.S. Mail, nor will we accept a paper application. The ECFMG office will serve as the designated Dean's office and can provide detailed information.

We do not offer observerships in the Department of Medicine.

Information about UC San Diego policies and procedures, housestaff benefits, licensure and registration is available on the Office of Graduate Medical Education website. 

View the  2019-20_Terms and Conditions.pdffor samples of our contract, terms and conditions, intern appointment letter and intern acceptance letter.