IMPORTANT

If you are a graduate of a medical or osteopathic school other than those in the US or Canada, you must follow different procedures first before applying to the program. Your application will not be reviewed unless these outlined steps are followed:

Application Procedure for Graduates of International Medical Schools

Application and Interview Procedure for Graduates of U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools (including Osteopathic Schools)

I. ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service)

PLEASE NOTE: The basic components of your application (the Common Application Form, transcript, personal statement, USMLE scores, at least 2 letters of recommendation and the Medical Student Performance Evaluation [MSPE—formerly Dean's Letter]) MUST BE RECEIVED at UCSF by November 11, 2009.

All tracks within our residency are selected via ERAS—ACGME ID # 3200521040.

Revisit our program options page if you wish. As you become more familiar with the UCSF Pediatric Residency Training Program during the application season, you may ADD or DELETE one or the other of the General Pediatrics or PLUS Program tracks to suit your residency training goals.  Since the PLUS program has significant overlap of core educational experiences with the General Pediatrics program, many applicants who are primarily interested in PLUS apply to BOTH programs.  Conversely, applicants who are primarily interested in the General Pediatrics program do not necessarily apply to the PLUS program, owing to its more specialized curriculum at the slight expense of a more "general" residency training.  However, especially after visiting our program on Applicant Day, some applicants find the PLUS Program an appealing training option and are allowed to submit their preference for this track at any time through ERAS.

Applicants who wish to be considered for the Preliminary Program are generally not considered as competitive either for the General Pediatrics or PLUS Programs due to the self-declared differentiation to pursue additional training in another residency altogether.

II. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

ERAS allows 4 letters of recommendation to be sent to our program in addition to the required Medical Student Performance Evaluation Letter (MSPE or Dean's Letter). We highly recommend that one of these letters be from the Chair of your Department of Pediatrics or the equivalent (the Director of the Pediatric Residency Training Program or the Pediatric Clerkship Director may also write a "departmental letter").

Additional letters of recommendation should be from faculty members who have worked with you in a clinical setting, who know you well from research or other scholarly projects, from community involvement experiences, etc. We encourage you to submit letters of recommendation that give our selection committee the broadest possible view of your qualifications and attributes, from as many different perspectives as is possible..

We require 3 letters of recommendation in addition to the Dean's letter; you may submit an optional, preferred 4^th letter of recommendation without penalty.

III. USMLE SCORES

Successful completion of USMLE Step 1 is required for application to the program. There is no minimum score required for application. In addition, it is strongly recommended that applicants take USMLE Step 2 (CS & CK) early enough to have passing scores available for review by our Selection Committee by mid-February, 2010, as passing both Step 2 exams is required prior to starting training at UCSF in June, 2010. Other certifying examinations (such as COMLEX) are not acceptable substitutions for this, nor are they required.

IV. PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs are NOT required to complete your ERAS application. However, since considerable evaluation of your entire application packet occurs for many weeks after your visit and interview on "Applicant Day", a photograph greatly assists us in specifically recalling the details of your visit here. If you choose to submit a photograph, you can do so at any point in the application process timeline, since you will submit the digital photograph to ERAS, and it will then be forwarded to us.

V. INTERVIEW SCHEDULING AND "APPLICANT DAY"

The Department of Pediatrics conducts a rigorous yet enjoyable daylong program from approximately 7:30am to 5pm. Please take this timeline into account when considering travel arrangements such as airline connections. The "Applicant Day" program provides an overview of the clinical rotations, an individual interview with a faculty member, lunch with housestaff and tours of the UCSF Children's Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital. We strongly encourage all applicants to participate in this "Applicant Day" program.

Interviews will be scheduled only after our selection committee reviews applications. We will send interview invitations to you by email, so be sure to indicate your preferred and accurate email address on your ERAS application. Interview dates for this season are listed below.

VI. "DESSERT NIGHTS"

If you receive an invitation to interview with us, please consider joining us for one of our popular "Dessert Nights" where you can meet the residents in a relaxed, informal setting and enjoy some great desserts, too! "Dessert Nights" are offered every Monday and Thursday evening during interview season (except on Holidays) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The location varies between resident homes and local commercial establishments, so the specific location will be sent to you via email when your interview date is confirmed. Please take this into consideration when making travel plans to the Bay Area for any of your interviews!

Please contact us with any questions or requests for additional information.

Applicants are considered by a selection committee; appointments are made by the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and are subject to the rules and regulations of the National Resident Matching Program.