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How to apply to our program

Pen to paper application

Residency applicants must either be:

  • Graduates of approved medical schools in the United States or Canada
    OR

  • Able to meet licensure requirements in the State of California (ECFMG certificate; written, oral, and clinical FLEX examinations; and completion of an approved clinical internship).

How to Apply

All applications to UC San Diego Pathology training program are accepted only through the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). To begin the application process, applicants should review the ERAS web site at www.aamc.org/eras. Go to the “Resource Center” on the ERAS home page and select “Applicant resources”. Please note that the department requires three letters of recommendation, a Dean’s letter and copies of all USMLE exam results. These should be handled using the ERAS application system. The deadline for receipt of applications from ERAS is November 1st for appointments beginning the following July.

International Medical Graduates must obtain a Post-Graduate Authorization Letter from the Medical Board of California http://www.mbc.ca.gov/applicant/index.html prior to our ranking meeting in February. This should be uploaded to ERAS as one of your letters of recommendation. We do not have specific requirements for IMGs, but the following guidelines help to make an applicant competitive:

  • USMLE Scores (all steps taken) above 200 (80) on first attempt.
  • Graduated from medical school less than 5 years ago.
  • J-1 Visas, EAD or US Naturalization (We do not sponsor Visas)
  • Current California Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) on file prior to February 1

UC San Diego participates in the National Resident Matching System (NRMP) www.nrmp.org

See these web sites for more information.

  • ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) allows applicants to enter their information and transcripts, then electronically submit these packets to selected colleges.
  • Medical Board of California
  • ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates)
  • USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination)

Fellowship applicants should view the Fellowship section of this site.