Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency

Internal medicine training in diverse clinical settings

An aerial view of physicians in discussion around a table represents the evidence-based environment of the Scripps Clinic Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Internal medicine training in diverse clinical settings

The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital prepares physicians to become excellent and independent practitioners of general and subspecialty internal medicine. We consistently match into the nation’s finest fellowship programs, and our graduates consistently obtain employment in the community and specialty of their choice.


Residents work in an autonomous, evidence-based patient care environment with substantial opportunities for one-on-one interactions with attending physicians and specialists. The program includes rotations in all internal medicine specialties and most related or affiliated specialties. And for residents interested in pursuing a career in primary care, we offer a unique primary care pathway that provides concentrated, supplemental training.


We also have a robust clinical research education and support system with a dedicated associate program director of resident research. In addition, we have a resident-as-teacher curriculum, and serve as a teaching site for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).


While not all residents will choose a career as general internists, all program graduates should have the foundation of excellence in internal medicine.

Please note: Some of the footage and images in this video were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scripps is currently following all CDC guidelines, and has implemented special protocols, to keep our facilities safe for our patients and staff. Read more about our precautions

Program highlights

The Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program is distinguished by our outstanding clinical, research and academic training as well as the numerous accolades awarded to Scripps.

Program tracks

Program tracks

The Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program offers two distinct training tracks — a categorical track and a research track — each with its own National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) number. Applicants may apply to either or both.


The categorical track is a three-year internal medicine residency that includes a primary care pathway for select individuals who choose to concentrate their training experience in preparation for careers as primary care clinicians. 

Research track mentor Eric Topol, MD, works with a trainee

The ABIM Internal Medicine/Research track pathway is an extended residency program that includes two years of traditional internal medicine training combined with three years of dedicated research training that may be combined with a specialty fellowship. Clinician scholars in this track propose, carry out, and report mentored translational studies within their areas of interest, under a unifying theme of individualized health care.


We recruit internally from all training programs for this pathway, and IM residents are eligible to apply during their PGY-2 year. Applicants are welcome to express their research interest and ask for further information regarding the details and opportunities of the track by contacting jaiswal.stuti@scrippshealth.org

Message from the director

Biraj Shah, MD, program director of Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program in San Diego.

Message from the director

Hear directly from the program director about what to expect from the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital.

Training sites, rotations and lectures

Inpatient residency training takes place on the campuses of Scripps Clinic, Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. At these sites, internal medicine residents gain extensive hands-on experience in virtually all inpatient medical/surgical subspecialties and are exposed to a wide range of pathologies.


Approximately half of the residency experience takes place in the outpatient setting at various Scripps Clinic sites throughout San Diego. Besides the internal medicine clinic, residents have the benefit of rotating through subspecialty clinics, which sets us apart from most other academic medical center residency programs. Additional unique outpatient experiences abound, including those in indigent clinics, on Native American reservations and in medical clinics on Fiji.

Faculty and residents

Our internal medicine residents train under the mentorship of experienced clinical, research and academic experts and alongside talented trainees.

Research opportunities

Research opportunities

Critically evaluating scientific research is an important skill, and our goal is to train physicians who can analyze, critique and appropriately apply new scientific and clinical literature. These competencies are practiced regularly in our curriculum, during weekly evidence-based medicine rounds and monthly journal club.


Furthermore, to promote scientific inquiry and understanding of the demands of clinical, translational and quality improvement research, we require all residents to develop and pursue a scholarly project during their training and to present their findings at the end of residency at Scripps Clinic Grand Rounds. 


The residency research director meets regularly with residents, collectively and individually, to help each resident formulate research ideas, choose a project mentor, refine a hypothesis and protocol, execute data collection and analysis, and plan presentation of results. Many of these projects result in presentations at regional and national conferences and/or peer-reviewed publication.

Salary and benefits

The terms and conditions of resident training and employment are specified in the employment agreement that also includes training obligations, stipend and benefit provisions.

How to apply

Applicants interested in applying to residencies, should apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).


Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, all interviews will be virtual this year (this is a nation-wide requirement of all programs). Applicants will be notified through ERAS of their interview status.