Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program

Cardiovascular disease fellowship at Scripps

Members of the Scripps Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program gather for a photo at the Scripps Clinic John R. Anderson V Medical Pavilion in La Jolla.

Cardiovascular disease fellowship at Scripps

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Scripps Clinic offers a unique opportunity to train with outstanding clinicians, clinical trialists and basic scientists.


Our institution places a great value on our fellows and their education, and we are fortunate to match with some of the brightest and most promising physicians in the country. 

Program highlights

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Scripps Clinic trains top candidates to become leaders in cardiovascular medicine. Program highlights include the following:

Unique training opportunities

The Scripps Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program provides a balance between clinical exposure and research. Our unique training opportunities include:


Clinical exposure

We offer a small program at a medium-sized institution with high volume. Those ratios work in the fellows' favor. 


Most fellowships allow motivated fellows to become Core Cardiovascular Training Statement (COCATs) Level 2 in at least two of the following: nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and diagnostic angiography. At Scripps, our high clinical volume and high volume/fellow ratio allows every fellow to become Level 2 in each of these.

Curriculum and didactics

Note from the program director

Every June, we celebrate the graduation of our fellows, and it is bittersweet. It is like sending your kid off to college. On one hand, we will miss them because they have been part of our daily lives for three years and we have developed a relationship and friendship. On the other hand, graduation is a celebration, in part, because we feel a tremendous sense of pride in the type of cardiologist we are sending into the world. Our fellowship graduates are quickly identified as leaders in their future medical groups, they continue to be productive in research, they seek leadership roles in national cardiology societies, and they are such outstanding clinicians that we would be happy and find great comfort if they were to care for our own family members. We spend three years setting them up for success and it is exciting to see them launch.


No sooner have we finished waving our goodbyes than we turn around to welcome four new fellows and again begin the process of mentorship and education. These fellows are attracted to Scripps Clinic’s outstanding faculty, the division’s excellent educational curriculum, and the opportunity to care for a diverse pathology. We offer fellowship candidates a unique, balanced opportunity to train outstanding clinicians, clinical trialists and basic scientists.


Sincerely,


Malhar Patel, MD

Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program 

Scripps Clinic

1 of 6

Cardiology division and fellowship

2 of 6

Cardiology fellows and core faculty

3 of 6

Cardiology teaching faculty

4 of 6

Christopher Suhar, MD, Rychelle Geronimo and Malhar Patel, MD

5 of 6

Program Directors Malhar Patel, MD and Christopher Suhar, MD

6 of 6

Cardiology fellows

Salary and benefits 

Annual salary

Scripps Clinic/Green Hospital fellowship pay and benefits:


PGY IV year - $88,544

PGY V year - $92,544

PGY VI year - $96,620

PGY VII year - $100,661


Salary scale 2024-2025 (PDF, 130 KB)

Insurance, leave and other benefits

Insurance

  • Health and dental insurance plans are available for fellows and their dependents for a minimal cost. Fellows may participate in the Scripps Wellness program to reduce their health care premiums. Confidential counseling and psychological support services are available on request.
  • Life insurance coverage, up to $1,000,000, is available for fellows and their dependents.
  • Long-term disability insurance, at Scripps rates, is available for purchase. State Disability Insurance is paid by the fellow. The State of California requires this contribution.
  • Fellows are covered by malpractice insurance while performing services within the scope of their training at Scripps Clinic. The liability limit is $5,000,000 per claim/$5,000,000 annually. Tail coverage is provided.


Vacations and leave

Fellows receive 20 vacation days annually. Six paid sick days are allotted annually. Parental and other leaves of absence follow Scripps policy and California State Law. Substantial absences may necessitate additional rotations to complete training.


Other benefits

  • Lab coats and scrubs are provided and laundered by Scripps
  • Paid parking in the adjacent gated and covered structure is provided at no cost
  • A full-service cafeteria is located in the hospital
  • Call rooms are provided
  • Scripps Health non-profit 501(c)(3) – Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) programs


Educational expenses

Scripps provides an educational expense allowance annually to each fellow for professional meetings and conferences, books and journals, professional dues and other educational expenses.

How to apply

Apply for a Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital fellowship program.

Apply to the cardiovascular disease fellowship

Application timeline

  • Application start: July
  • Application deadline: August
  • Interviews: September and October
  • Rank list: November
  • Match: December


Applicants interested in applying to fellowship, should apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) beginning in July. The deadline for completed applications is annually on August 1.


All interviews will be virtual this year based on the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Recommendations.  


Please provide the following:

  • Completed application
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Three endorsement letters (one from a residency program director and two from subspecialty faculty members)
  • Medical school transcript
  • ECFMG certificate (if applicable)
  • USMLE transcript or Comlex scores


Matching program


Programs that use the Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP) of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP):

  • Allergy and Immunology 
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
  • Gastroenterology and Hepatology
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology SF Match
  • Rheumatology


Visit NRMP to register for a match.

Who can apply

Eligibility criteria

  • MD or DO
  • US Citizenship or permanent resident. We are not accepting applicants with a J1 or H1B Visas at this time
  • Completion of a three-year ACGME-accredited Internal Medicine residency program by the time of entry
  • MUST have a current California Physician's and Surgeon's License and DEA certificate by start date. Please see Medical Board of California requirements for licensure


Selection criteria

Four fellows are selected from a highly competitive field of applicants for our training program. Fellows are selected based on their ability, academic credentials, aptitude, intellect, humanism, motivation and integrity. These qualities are assessed through a review of the academic record, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and interviews. 


Selection of fellows will not discriminate with regards to age, gender, nation of origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability. 

Contact us

Contact Rychelle Geronimo at geronimo.rychelle@scrippshealth.org or 858-824-4134 to learn more about the cardiovascular medicine fellowship programs at Scripps Clinic.