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 and we feel a tremendous sense of pride in the type of cardiologist we are sending into the world. Our 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 and clinical trialists.

Sincerely,

Malhar Patel, MD

Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program 

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Scripps Clinic trains top candidates to become leaders in cardiovascular medicine. Our three-year, ACGME-accredited program offers a deliberate balance of high-volume clinical exposure and hands-on research training, set within hospitals and clinics ranked the best in San Diego for heart care by U.S. News & World Report. 

As a medium-sized training program within a large-sized institution, we offer fellows an exceptional ratio of faculty mentorship to clinical volume, preparing them for COCATS Level 2 certification in multiple subspecialties. Fellows can pursue an integrative cardiology track — the only one of its kind in the country — or a clinician-scientist research track through the Scripps Translational Science Institute. Our graduates go on to academic medicine, leadership positions in community practice and are involved in national cardiology societies.

Program highlights include the following:

• Overview of our core clinical track
• Integrative cardiology track
• Research at Scripps and our CTSA track
• Meet our fellows
• Faculty, mentorship and facilities

Applicants interested in the Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program should apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) beginning in July. The deadline for completed applications is annually on August 1.

Application timeline:

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

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

Required application materials include:

• 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

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program participates in the Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP) of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

Eligibility requirements



• MD or DO
• U.S. citizenship or permanent resident
• 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 note that Scripps Clinic does not sponsor J-1 or H-1 visas.

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.