Important Information for Applicants

Applying to the Preliminary or Categorical Program

How to Apply

The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and accepts applications only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We require a copy of your MSPE (Dean's letter), three letters of recommendation, medical school transcripts and copies of USMLE scores.

Traits that Make a Great Intern or Resident

• Sincere compassion - people with this attribute excel at some of the other characteristics that make for amazing residents. One with sincere compassion works hard for patients.  
• Underserved communities have a lot of justified distrust of the system -  It takes hard work to re-build that trust, or at the very least, to make sure that patients whose health and needs have been neglected for so long, receive all that is needed to keep them as healthy as possible for as long as possible.  People with a strong ethic do well here.
• Someone who is extremely compassionate looks out for co-residents, attendings, and everyone within the residency community as well.  Team players do well here, people who want to reinforce the strong culture of kindness that is so prevalent in our program.
• Desire to make the program better This program has a growth mindset. Everyone is welcome to contribute to that growth and to leave this program better than you found it. Start a new interest group, a new rotation, a new curriculum, a new outreach opportunity.  Do you have a passion for something that’s not yet represented at our program?  Share a part of you with us by starting something that reflects your passion.  

Applying to UCR Without a Research Background

Research is important, but it’s not absolutely necessary for our applicants. We recognize that people have interests in other areas that can be considered scholarly in nature, and very valuable to the practice of internal medicine.  We have interviewed, ranked, and even matched candidates with no research. Please do apply.

Osteopathic and International Medical Candidates

Osteopathic and international medical graduates are welcome, and indeed, encouraged to apply.

Osteopathic graduates do not need to take the USMLE to apply to this program.  The COMLEX alone suffices for these candidates.

Candidates Who Have Repeated a Pre-Clinical Course or Failed Board Exams

We engage in holistic review of every application.  If you have experienced any of the above challenges, and then, later successfully remediated or passed the activity in question, we will review the rest of your application to understand the circumstances that surrounded these events.

Though many candidates think it is advisable to simply remain silent on issues such as these, we value complete transparency from candidates themselves in their personal statement or other sections of the application. We will also look for explanations provided on the candidate’s behalf by recommenders and deans.

The selection committee understands that difficulties, challenges, and mistakes are part of life; we are eager to understand the context in which these things have happened to our candidates, lessons learned, and growth that has been accomplished.  

We do not wish to penalize anyone that has experienced misfortune that they could not control and/or have learned and grown from those instances. We can provide no guarantees about interview or ranking decisions, but the intern selection committee does seek to understand each candidate as favorably as possible.

How UCR Processes Signals in ERAS

• Most candidates who assign a gold signal in ERAS to UCR will be invited for interview.
• Many candidates who assign a silver signal to UCR, will also be invited to interview.
• Some candidates who do not assign a signal to UCR, will be invited for interview.
  In past years, non-signaling candidates have been ranked and matched at UCR.
• After interview, signaling is not considered in candidate’s placement on the rank list.
• UCR School of Medicine students who are interested in this residency program should assign to UCR the signal type that reflects your degree of interest.

About the Review Process

How UCR Reviews Applications and Ranks Candidates

Candidates are considered by the following domains.

• Demonstrated record of commitment to the underserved, especially those communities in Inland Southern California.
• Clear evidence of resiliency or distance travelled.
• Academic excellence as reflected in deans letters and recommendations.
• Proven personal commitment to self-sacrifice or selflessness.

What should I do if I’m really interested in UCR, but have not received an invitation to interview?

Let us know. Don’t be shy about getting in touch with us and making sure we know of your interest and that you want the opportunity to interview with us. Many candidates who did so during the last selection cycle, were offered interviews.  Of course, we can never promise an interview; but we can promise that we’ll consider your request seriously. Feel free to get in touch.

Salaries and Benefits

House staff are employees of the University of California, Riverside. Information about salaries and benefits can be found on our main GME page. General questions about benefits may be directed to our Human Resources team via the ServiceLink ticketing system.

Preparing Residents for Fellowship

The residency program's “Fellowship Preparation Pathway” is a longitudinal pathway that takes place throughout the three years of categorical internal medicine residency.

After matching, residents will be asked if you are interested in fellowship, and which one(s) specifically. Interns who indicate that they’re interested in fellowship will automatically be enrolled in this pathway.

This pathway has two main elements.

• The first includes didactic presentations and workshops that assist participants in understanding what deliverables and activities they should be working on in specific times throughout the residency and providing the necessary assistance to complete those deliverables successfully.
• The second, involves longitudinal advising with an assigned fellow, who will have faculty support from the division.

Information for Preliminary Interns

What is the Success Rate of Matching Preliminary Interns to the Specialty of their Choice?

In the last match cycle, seven of nine interns successfully secured a position in the specialty of their choice, some of whom matched with the first program on their rank list.

Continuing in Categorical Internal Medicine Training at UCR

This is usually not possible. The only way that this outcome is possible is if one of the existing categorical interns leaves the residency program. That has not happened once in the last three years.