Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency

Scripps Mercy Hospital has served central and downtown San Diego since 1890. Learn what else distinguishes Scripps Mercy (and the broader Scripps Health network) from other health care systems in Southern California:

• Scripps Mercy Hospital is home to the busiest emergency department in San Diego. 
• Scripps Mercy is a Level I Trauma Center, one of only six designated trauma centers in San Diego County. 
• We have a tertiary ICU — one of the busiest and highest acuity in the county with 24-hour intensivist coverage.
• We are a certified STEMI receiving center. 
• We offer an advanced structural heart program with capacity for advanced procedures such as TAVR and PFO closure.
• We have a busy electrophysiology program with capacity for various advanced electrophysiology interventions.
• We are a certified Primary Stroke Center with neuro-intervention capacity.
• Scripps Mercy Hospital includes a multidisciplinary cancer center. 
• Scripps Health is ranked among the top in San Diego on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list and as high performing in multiple specialties. 
• Scripps Health was named among the top employers in the nation on Forbes' 100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2025 for the 17th time.
• As a non-profit organization, Scripps is dedicated to serving the local community and the underserved.

We invite you to explore our website to see what makes Mercy a great place to train. A few of our highlights include:

• 98% 3-year rolling board pass rate on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Exam and near 100% board pass rate over the last 25 years
• Full accreditation with Commendation from the ACGME
• An advanced and fully integrated POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) Program with nationally recognized faculty
• A successful history of excellent Fellowship matches across all medicine sub-specialties, both locally and nationally
• Research opportunities in multiple specialties with a dedicated research committee that supports internal resident research and collaborates on research projects with other local institutions (UCSD, The Scripps Research Institute, etc.)
• Support of Away/Audition, Elective, and Research rotations
• A partnership with UCSD Medical School and the ongoing education of 3rd- and 4th-year medical students

Dear Residency Candidate,

Thank you for considering Scripps Mercy for your Internal Medicine residency training. Our mission is to train and develop internists who provide excellent and compassionate care. At our program, you can expect to receive outstanding clinical training and personalized guidance to achieve your professional goals, whatever that may be. Our graduates leave us fully prepared to pursue further subspecialty training or begin their practice in primary care and/or hospital medicine. Furthermore, you can expect to have ample opportunities to work with diverse underserved communities of San Diego who challenge us to become better physicians and remind us of the heart for service that motivated so many of us to enter medicine in the first place. 

We are confident that you too will find Scripps Mercy a place for professional growth and intellectual stimulation as you develop lifelong relationships with your colleagues, attendings and sometimes even your patients as so many before you have done.  

Preparation for your careers

• 98% 3-year rolling board pass rate on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Exam, and near 100% board pass rate over the last 25 years.
• Excellent fellowship placement rate with opportunities for audition rotations at outside institutions
• Excellent job placement with graduates working as practicing hospitalists and primary care physicians, many of whom are in leadership positions with most of the major medical groups in Southern California
• Faculty advisor assigned to each resident for support, guidance and mentoring

Excellent clinical training

• Excellent clinical experience at a tertiary care hospital that serves a diverse socio-economic and ethnic population, including the underserved. Highlights include the busiest ER in San Diego, Level 1 Trauma Center, a Primary Stroke Center with neuro-intervention capacity, a STEMI Center, advanced structural heart and EP program, multi-disciplinary comprehensive cancer center, and a highly rated ICU with 24-hour intensivist support without fellows, maximizing resident hands-on experience
• Outpatient continuity clinic at a federally qualified health center (Family Health Center of San Diego) with numerous resources for the underserved
• Our Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program for internists is the oldest (~30 years) and one of the best in the country, with opportunity to carry a device for everyday use and obtain a Certificate of Added Qualifications in POCUS

Commitment to didactics

• Interactive case-based morning report three days a week
• Daily Noon Conference lectures (with excellent health-conscious lunch provided daily)
• Weekly Grand Rounds given by local and national experts on a wide variety of topics
• Free ACP associate membership and a generous stipend for personal educational material (in addition to coverage of various licensure fees)

Multiple opportunities and strong support for research  

• 37-resident manuscript, textbook chapter, or abstract publications in the 2024-2025 academic year
• 38-resident entries in the in-house annual research symposium and competition for residents during the 2024-2025 edition
• Close relationship with the Scripps Hub Academic Research Core (SHARC), a research support service provided by the Scripps Research Translational Institute, which provides guidance and support for research design, grants, IRB approval and statistics
• An internal research committee composed of faculty members to help guide resident research projects from conception to publication

Prioritizing resident wellness

• Access to confidential mental health support
• Numerous employee benefits including opportunities for discounted health insurance coverage based on meeting wellness participation incentives
• Active Resident Wellness Committee
• Free parking, daily free health-conscious lunches, and 24-hour free snacks and coffee
• Housing stipend incorporated into annual salary

Commitment to the underserved

• A safety-net hospital that provides care for the underserved communities in San Diego
• Partnership with the Family Health Centers of San Diego, a federally qualified health center, as the primary site for outpatient medicine for both primary care continuity clinic and various sub-specialty clinics
• Required Underserved Medicine rotation during the first year with opportunities to participate in homeless outreaches, medication-assisted treatment clinics for opioid dependence, rural medicine, and educational sessions at local shelters.

I hope the information provided proves useful and encourages you to seek more information about our program. I invite you to review more of our website to learn why Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego is an excellent place to begin your internal medicine career. Thank you for your interest and I look forward to meeting you in the future.

Paul Han, MD, FACP

Program Director

Internal Medicine Residency Program

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego

We host a variety of in-house subspecialty services and advanced procedures, including:

• Cardiothoracic surgery with advanced robotics program
• Neurosurgery
• Interventional neuro-radiology
• Interventional radiology (IR)
• Interventional cardiology including structural heart disease
• Electrophysiology cardiology
• Pulmonology including Endobronchial ultrasound
• Endocrinology with continuous glucose monitoring capability
• Medical and Surgical ICU
• Interventional gastroenterology, including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS)
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
• Inpatient oncology service and a comprehensive outpatient cancer center
• Palliative care
• Vascular surgery
• Trauma surgery
• General surgery
• Urology 
• Orthopedic surgery

Our continuity and core subspecialty clinics are housed across the street from Scripps Mercy Hospital at the Hillcrest location of Family Health Centers of San Diego, a federally qualified health center. Residents attend clinic every 7th week for one continuous week as part of our X + Y scheduling template. They serve as primary care physicians for their own panel of patients, providing preventive care, as well as taking care of both acute and chronic illnesses. During the same clinic week, residents also actively participate in hospital follow-up visits, where they gain valuable experience in seamless care transition from inpatient to outpatient settings, engage in coumadin clinics for anticoagulation management, and receive comprehensive exposure to various subspecialty clinics housed here, including:

• Cardiology and Heart failure
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Hepatitis C and HIV
• Hepatology
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Pulmonology
• Sports medicine
• Hematology

Through primary care and subspecialty experiences, our residents gain valuable experience taking care of medically complex patients from diverse backgrounds. In addition, the clinic curriculum includes daily didactic presentations on key ambulatory care topics in addition to self-education half-day, which provides time for core outpatient modules that focus on key outpatient topics from PEAC, the Physician Education and Assessment Center (formerly called Johns Hopkins modules), as well as MKSAP (or UWorld) practice questions.

This cutting-edge facility opened its doors in spring 2022, significantly enhancing access to advanced oncology care for adult cancer patients and allowing medical oncologists to interact closely with radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, and palliative care physicians.

During the hematology oncology rotation, residents spend approximately half of their time at Prebys Cancer Center, located steps away from the hospital. Here, residents gain exposure to medical oncology, benign and malignant hematology, and perform bone marrow biopsies. Residents see firsthand how Scripps Prebys Cancer Center uses treatment protocols, standards of care, clinical trials and translational research. In addition, elective rotations in radiation oncology as well as in both inpatient and outpatient palliative care are also offered.

We believe women’s health is an integral part of training in internal medicine and therefore we offer a rotation in gynecology. La Maestra Community Health Center is the primary site for the gynecology rotation. Here, residents work directly with a gynecologist and learn to become competent in evaluating common gynecologic issues and doing routine gynecologic examinations, including Pap smears and breast exams.

The Cardiovascular Limited Ultrasound Exam (CLUE) is our point of care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol, which was derived and validated here at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. The program is fully integrated into our curriculum with online modules, monthly didactics and daily bedside rounds. 

Our evidence-based POCUS program and protocols have been referenced by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) as “likely the most rigorous curriculum” and “the most sustainable and integrated curriculum published in the literature so far.”

By the end of their first year, residents can detect left ventricular dysfunction, left atrial enlargement, pleural effusions, pneumothorax, tamponade, elevated central venous pressure (CVP) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Furthermore, almost all residents obtain certification in CLUE exam during their first year and are equipped with their own POCUS device for daily use until graduation.

The CLUE curriculum makes the Scripps Mercy resident’s bedside exam one of the most clinically powerful diagnostic skills a physician can learn to perform. It also generates a significant amount of clinical research and national attention. View a list of Scripps CLUE-related publications here (PDF, 210 KB).

Each academic year is divided into 13 blocks (four weeks each). For categorical internal medicine residents, the blocks are further integrated into an X+Y system (clinic week is every 7th week, aka the Y-week). Four weeks of vacations per year are provided in one-week intervals and are scheduled during elective blocks. Our Transitional Year PGY-1 interns are fully integrated into our rotations, including medicine wards, ICU, float and electives. 

Medicine wards

The wards team includes an attending, one senior resident, two interns and a pharmacist. Additionally, there may be a podiatry intern, sub-intern medical students from UCSD and other medical schools, and/or a third-year medical student from UCSD. The team also may host PGY-1 interns from Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista’s Family Medicine Residency Program, Navy’s Transitional Year Program, and UCSD’s Psychiatry Program, as well as PGY-3 residents from Scripps Green and San Ysidro Health. The call cycle consists of a recurring five-day cycle with three days of “day-call” admitting, one day of “long-call” admitting and one “post-call” day with no admitting. There is no 24-hour call.

Medicine night float

While on night float, the senior resident admits new patients overnight. Two interns on night float rotation alternate between admitting and cross covering the patients on the teaching service overnight.

Day float

The day float intern and the day float resident covers their respective colleagues on their days off while on wards. This creates an opportunity to rotate through all five teaching teams throughout the month. Residents learn to quickly assume care of patients, address their needs and then efficiently transition care back to the native resident the following day.

Medical ICU

During the ICU rotation, interns and residents work together in a team-based setting and work directly with the Intensivist. There are no critical care fellows, which means there are plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and performing procedures. Admitting is done on a short call, long call, and night shift admitting schedule.

There is no 24-hour call. 

Continuity clinic

We offer a true continuity clinic experience where residents care for their own panel of patients throughout their three years of training. Residents are in clinic generally every 7th week according to our flexible 6+1 schedule. They learn to provide effective and efficient primary care, including performing preventive medicine and caring for medically complex patients with both acute and chronic issues. This experience includes learning/practicing outpatient procedures, doing in-depth pre-operative assessments, honing one’s physical exam skills, and routinely incorporating clinical guidelines into the care of their patients. We care for a diverse patient population, many of whom are underserved.

Our residents gain extensive experience caring for patients with numerous medical issues and develop longitudinal relationships with their patients over the course of three years. They take ownership of their patients and become very knowledgeable of their patients’ medical problems. Our superb clinic faculty provide teaching and supervision as well as weekly didactics on ambulatory topics as part of the robust primary care curriculum. Residents don’t have continuity clinic while on inpatient rotations; their patient messages are handled by residents who are in clinic during that time.

Away/audition rotations

The Department of Graduate Medical Education is supportive of away rotations, both at local institutions (such as Scripps Green Hospital and UCSD) as well as institutions across the country. The schedule allows for ample opportunity to do elective rotations, including away rotations, which many of our residents do. 

Research rotations

Research blocks are available to interested residents during the second and third year.

Independent study

Independent study rotations can be used to prepare for the internal medicine board exam.

Elective rotations

Our program allows ample time for electives. We offer a broad variety of excellent elective rotations to choose from and multiple opportunities for residents to pursue their field of interest. The medical subspecialty rotations usually include an inpatient consult service combined with an outpatient experience — either at our resident clinic (Hillcrest Family Health Center) and/or a private office. Some rotations, depending on the specialty, are outpatient only. Elective rotations are Monday - Friday without weekend call nor cross-covering responsibilities. 

Medicine subspecialty rotations include:

• Allergy/immunology
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Heart failure
• Hematology/oncology
• Hepatitis C/HIV
• Hospitalist rotation
• Infectious disease
• Nephrology
• Palliative medicine
• Private office primary care
• Pulmonology
• Rheumatology

Other specialty rotations include:

• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• ENT
• General surgery
• Gynecology
• Interventional Radiology
• Lifestyle medicine
• Medical Spanish (Canopy)
• Neurology 
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedic surgery
• Pathology
• Podiatry
• Psychiatry
• Radiation oncology
• Sports medicine
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinic
• Trauma surgery
• Underserved medicine
• Urgent Care
• Urology
• Vulnerable Patient Clinic - HIV, Hep C, SUD
• UCSD Owen HIV Clinic

Procedures

Our program provides our residents numerous opportunities for hands-on experience to become proficient in procedures. These can occur during rotations in the ICU, on wards, emergency medicine, as well as outpatient and subspecialty services. 

Scripps Mercy offers a structured, academic didactic curriculum that complements our residents’ clinical experience. Presenters include visiting guest speakers, local experts and subspecialists, faculty, and our own interns and residents. 

Morning Report

Our morning report is extremely well received and is held three days a week. With the support of the chief resident, an intern or resident presents an interesting or challenging case to the house staff, program director and associate program directors, all of whom work in teams with residents to try and solve a diagnostic puzzle. We focus on highlighting key points in the history and physical exam, brainstorm the most likely diagnosis together as a group, and discuss the management of the disease process. We utilize real cases in the hospital to teach our residents critical thinking, pattern recognition, problem solving, and how to recognize and manage not only common internal medicine diagnoses but also rare and complex ones. Our morning report cases represent the wide range of pathology seen in our hospital. Many of our morning report cases have been selected for poster presentations and case reports.

Noon Conference

Noon Conference is held five days a week with catered lunch. Topics are based on a three-year rotating curriculum, and lecturers include local experts, our own subspecialists and faculty. We aim to cover the broad field of internal medicine and medical subspecialties in order to prepare residents for the Internal Medicine Board Exam. 

Some of the longitudinal lecture series held at noon conference include:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG) workshops hosted by our electrophysiology (EP) cardiologists
• Non-invasive and invasive ventilator management
• Point of care ultrasound: Cardiovascular limited ultrasound examination (CLUE)
• Journal club
• Multidisciplinary pulmonary and gastroenterology (GI) pathology (with a featured radiologist, pulmonologist or gastroenterologist, and pathologist) 
• Morbidity and mortality cases
• Intern and resident presentations on topics of their choice
• Procedure curriculum including how to perform/interpret a lumbar puncture (LP), central venous catheter placement (CVC), arterial line (A-line placement), thoracentesis, and paracentesis.
• Pre-operative risk assessment 
• How to perform and interpret a complete cardiac exam

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds occur every Tuesday morning, featuring visiting experts speaking on a variety of topics. These lectures are also recorded and available for future reference. Some recent topics presented at Grand Rounds include:

• What’s New in HIV Care in 2025 – Update for the Primary Care Provider
• Management of Psychiatric Agitation and Behavioral Emergencies
• Addiction as a Brain Disease
• Management of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
• TB and Latent TB Infection

The annual Jack and Sue Geller Research Competition is our regional conference for abstract presentations. It is held annually and provides our residents an opportunity to contribute to scholarly activity. Residents can submit and present entries in the following categories:

• Oral presentation of a Case Report
• Oral presentation of original Research
• Poster presentation of a Case Report
• Poster presentation of original Research
• Medical arts (e.g., music, painting, or poetry)

The competition is named in honor of Jack Geller, MD, former director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, and his wife, Sue, who is a professional artist. Financial awards are given to the top entries in each category.

The faculty at Scripps Mercy San Diego is committed to resident success and excellence in medical education. Our teaching faculty come from programs all over the country, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, UCSD, UCLA, Northwestern, UC San Francisco, University of Washington, OHSU and our very own Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego offers 14 first-year resident (PGY-1) positions each year. Our diverse group of residents come from all over the country and bring with them a broad range of experience.

• View the class of 2028 (PDF, 350 KB)
• View the class of 2027 (PDF, 240 KB)
• View the class of 2026 (PDF, 370 KB)
• View the chief medical residents 2025-2026 (PDF, 160 KB)

Welcome barbecue

We kick off each year with the annual welcome barbecue during orientation week, where current residents and many of our current faculty attendings meet and greet the incoming interns. The location may change every year, but we’re guaranteed to enjoy the sunny California weather! 

Halloween party

Residents dress up for this annual event, held at various local venues throughout the San Diego area.

Holiday party

Scripps Mercy’s holiday party sets the standard for resident wellness. The location varies each year, but recent venues have included Animae, Stone Brewery and the Shout House.

Graduation dinner

We end each academic year with a formal graduation dinner at Bahia Resort Hotel, adjacent to Mission Bay, where residents attend with their families and guests as they are recognized for their accomplishments. 

Resident wellness

Our Resident Wellness Committee plans several exciting activities throughout the year, including hiking, bubble soccer, and yoga on the hospital rooftop. Our residents also meet up frequently for brunch, beach volleyball, surfing, and Padres games. Additionally, we have an annual Resident Retreat when residents get together with their peers for a day of bonding and wellness to enjoy several fun activities together.

Resident retreat 

Residents are excused from clinical activities in the spring to attend a resident retreat to enhance resident wellness through wellness education and team-building activities. The activities vary based on resident input.

Scripps Mercy has a local and national reputation for producing excellent internists, hospitalists and subspecialists. On average, 40% of our residents pursue fellowship opportunities while 60% choose careers as hospitalists or in primary care. Many of our graduates remain in the Scripps system, while others land competitive jobs both locally and in markets across the country. Some pursue teaching positions and train the physicians of tomorrow. We offer support and mentorship for residents who plan to pursue fellowship and help guide them through the fellowship application process.

View a list of our graduates’ post-residency jobs (PDF, 45 KB).

View a list of our graduates’ post-residency fellowship positions (PDF, 57 KB).

PGY-1 resident salary: $86,933

PGY-2 resident salary: $88,678

PGY-3 resident salary: $92,206

Chief resident salary: $95,907

Educational resources

All internal medicine residents are provided with an online or print version of Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP). MKSAP is accessible on all Scripps computers and residents can create their own logins for use on a mobile device and/or computer. All residents also have 24/7 access to the McGuire Health Sciences Medical Library at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. Our medical library offers very comprehensive access to both print and online journals, textbooks, ebooks, as well as numerous online resources and subscriptions. Full-time staff librarians can assist with research and journal article retrieval. In addition, there are online journals and links to DynaMed, AccessMedicine, Cochrane Library, UpToDate and PubMed. 

Educational stipend

A separate educational stipend is available each academic year for use towards books, educational software, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3 exam, Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) Level 3 exam, conferences, medical license and DEA license. 

Housing stipend

All Scripps residents receive a housing stipend that has been built into their annual salary to help defray housing costs.

Scripps Passport Card

Residents receive a complimentary Scripps Passport Discount Program card, which offers savings on shopping, dining, travel, movie tickets, theme parks and more.

Health, dental, vision and life insurance plans

Insurance plans are provided through Scripps Health. Options include an Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO), Health maintenance organization (HMO) and an optional health care spending account. Residents have the option to participate in the Scripps Wellness Program, which can result in further discounts on insurance costs.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The EAP provides free, confidential, short-term professional counseling for employees and family members.

Vacation 

All residents receive four (4) weeks of paid vacation. These are typically scheduled in one-week blocks throughout the year though longer vacations are considered in special circumstances. One of these weeks is automatically scheduled at the end of PGY-1 year right before the start of PGY-2 year. Family medical leave and maternity leave are allotted per the Scripps Mercy house staff manual and Scripps Health policies. For approved leave, residents have the ability to take a minimum of six weeks' leave without using vacation nor sick days and without needing to accumulate paid time off nor extending their training. Health and disability insurance for residents and their dependents continue during the leave.

Meals

Lunch is provided Monday through Friday at Noon Conference. Complimentary salads, sandwiches, snacks, tea and coffee are also available in the physician lounges 24 hours a day. Additionally, PGY-1s and PGY-2s are allocated a meal stipend of $1,200, and PGY-3s receive a stipend of $1,000, to be utilized within the hospital cafeteria for dining expenses throughout the academic year.

Parking

Parking is free in the physician parking structures adjacent to the hospital.

Laundry service

At orientation, everyone will receive two white coats and a $150 voucher intended for purchasing scrubs. White coat laundry service is provided with weekly pick-up and delivery.

• Scripps Mercy Hospital participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All PGY-1 positions are offered through the NRMP and applications must be processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). 
• Use NRMP Match Number 1048140C0
• We do not offer pre-match positions
• The application deadline for Categorical Internal Medicine is December 30, 2025.
• We will hold interviews from November 2025 – January 2026. Interviews are by invitation only and will be distributed with specific instructions on how to navigate your online interview experience.  

Candidates must graduate from schools accredited by the Liaison Council on Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association. All appointments are facilitated through the National Resident Matching Program’s Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applications must include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
• Official medical school transcript
• Letters of recommendation: You are required to submit at least three LORs. One should be a letter from the Department of Internal Medicine, which is typically written by the Chair of the department. The second letter should be from a clinical faculty with whom you have worked closely. A third letter is also required from a physician who has worked with you. Additional letters are encouraged but not required. 
• USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX Level 1 exam transcript (passing score required)
• USMLE Step 2 CK COMLEX Level 2 exam transcript (passing score required)
• Brief Personal Statement, which should address your educational plans (e.g., fellowship or future career) and interest in internal medicine
• Proof of graduation from medical school within the past five years

• Candidates who graduate from medical schools outside of the United States must have a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. In addition, candidates must have a postgraduate training authorization letter from the Medical Board of California and meet strict academic criteria. 
• In addition to the above requirements for all applicants, any US clinical experience (preferred but not required) must be documented with a letter of recommendation from a supervising physician.
• The Scripps Mercy Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program does not offer any form of Visa support.

The Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency Program offers a four-week inpatient medicine rotation in the sub-intern (acting-intern) role for fourth-year medical students.

More information about the Scripps Mercy San Diego Internal Medicine Sub-Internship is readily available on our website. Please refer to the link above for details, including requirements and how to apply.