UCSD Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Residency Program FAQs:

Scheduling

Do you have X+Y?

Yes! Med peds residents do 4 weeks of X + 2 weeks of Y on medicine. On pediatrics, we have a maximum of 4-6 weeks of inpatient at a time, but our peds program is not formally X+Y at this time.

Do you have 24-hour call?

No, there are no required rotations on medicine or pediatrics that have 24-hour call.

Training Sites and Training Opportunities

Where do med peds residents rotate?

For Internal Medicine, med peds residents rotate at all major teaching hospitals:

UCSD Hillcrest (county safety net hospital)

UCSD La Jolla (Thornton/Jacobs Medical Centers + Cardiovascular Center)

VA Hospital

Multiple outpatient sites, including Kaiser, FQHC sites, VA and UCSD-affiliated clinics, and more.

For Pediatrics, med peds residents rotate at:

Rady Children’s Hospital

Multiple outpatient sites, including Rady Children’s-associated clinics, Kaiser, FQHC sites, Balboa Naval Medical campus, and more.

UCSD Health is ranked #1 in San Diego and is in the top 10 academic medical centers for patient care in the nation. With two campuses including our county safety net hospital, residents receive a broad education in an award-winning hospital system.

The VA San Diego Medical Campus is a 296-bed tertiary care hospital next to the medical school campus that serves as a referral center for the region and is consistently ranked as one of the top VA hospitals in the country.

Rady Children’s Hospital is the largest children’s hospital in California and ranked in the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation. It is a referral center for the region, with every subspecialty represented and broad exposure to both common and complex pediatric presentations.

Here’s a link to more information about each site! UCSD Med Peds Training Sites

Where do med peds residents have continuity clinics?

Med Peds residents have separate academic medicine and pediatrics clinics. This allows for an excellent balance in pediatric and adult primary care experience as well as the opportunity to learn from our outstanding categorical colleagues and faculty. (Med Peds faculty teach at these sites as well!) One of our peds continuity clinic sites is an FQHC site with a large refugee population. All sites see a variety of patients from different demographics with diverse medical and social needs.

Our residents also have Med Peds Primary Care blocks, where they work in med peds clinics in the community (both private practice and FQHC sites) in addition to their separate medicine and pediatrics continuity clinics. This provides our residents a broad range of exposure to different med peds practice models, from academic to private practice to FQHC.

Are there opportunities in global medicine?

Yes! Residents may spend up to 2 months abroad during their training. We have a partnership with the main teaching hospital in Maputo, Mozambique through our medicine program. UCSD is 20 minutes from the US-Mexico border, and there are also opportunities to learn from our colleagues in Tijuana, including a rotation through pediatrics and volunteer opportunities.

Residents are also able to spend 4-6 weeks in Shiprock, New Mexico at the Indian Health Services Medical Center. Many physicians at this site are med-peds trained, and residents have the opportunity to see adults, or kids and adults depending on the duration of the rotation.

Is there elective time in the schedule?

Yes! We strive to maintain ample elective time within the constraints of ACGME requirements for med peds. Elective time is spread throughout all 4 years of training. We have over 60 electives to choose from; in addition to nearly every subspecialty in medicine and pediatrics, we offer unique electives in medical education, the care of patients identifying as LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse patients, toxicology, immigrant and refugee health, and more.

Educational Activities and Opportunities

Are there Med Peds-specific educational activities?

Yes! Our program offers multiple protected Med-Peds Academic Half Days (“School”). All residents are excused from clinical duties to participate in these interactive sessions focused on primary care and advocacy. Topics are selected based on ongoing resident feedback. In addition, we hold monthly evening gatherings at a resident’s home, where we discuss a variety of topics relevant to med peds over dinner.

What about other educational activities?

In addition to Med-Peds–specific conferences, residents participate in structured educational half-days within both categorical programs—held weekly in Internal Medicine and monthly in Pediatrics—covering a broad range of subspecialty topics. Each program also offers regular noon conferences led by subspecialty experts, as well as resident-driven case-based conferences. Both the Medicine and Pediatrics programs incorporate dedicated simulation sessions for procedural training, and there is a comprehensive point-of-care ultrasound curriculum on medicine.

Are there opportunities for research?

Yes! UCSD is nationally recognized for its research excellence, ranking #5 among public medical schools in NIH funding and #7 among all U.S. universities in overall research and development expenditures. All Med-Peds residents may take up to two months of protected research time during residency. All residents also complete a mentored scholarly project, with 2 weeks of protected time during the PGY3 year. These projects can be focused on traditional research, medical or patient education, QI, advocacy, or global health. With its strong research infrastructure and nationally renowned faculty across departments, there are many opportunities to engage in meaningful projects.

Are there specific pathways I can join to tailor my education?

Yes, there are multiple pathways to choose from depending on your interest! You apply during your PGY2 year. All pathways below are through internal medicine unless otherwise specified – but pediatrics is creating new pathways as well! Some pathways may be combined. Note that many residents choose not to join a pathway and still receive education and have opportunities to participate in these areas! Med Peds residents are eligible to join any of the following:

Resident As Clinician Educator “RACE” Pathway: Offered through both medicine and pediatrics program (and yes, you can participate in both!) These pathways feature a variety of medical education didactics and opportunities within the residency and school of medicine, as well as Med Ed faculty mentorship and academic CV development.

Primary Care Pathway: Med peds residents in this pathway have 2 additional primary care blocks per year during their PGY3 and PGY4 years, which incorporate protected academic half days with didactics, unique site visits, and focused high-yield electives to prepare you for a career in primary care in any setting.

Hospital Medicine Pathway: This pathway provides tailored educational didactics and training for a career in adult Hospital Medicine, including US rounds, dedicated procedural rotations, and additional “junior hospitalist” rotations.

Social Justice Pathway: This pathway has longitudinal threads of community partnership, legislative advocacy, advocacy through research, and patient advocacy.

Global Health Pathway: Focused global medicine education with multidisciplinary workshops/simulation and a variety of global health opportunities offered both locally and abroad, including 1 month in Maputo, Mozambique.

Integrative Medicine Pathway: Monthly didactics focused on patient and physician wellbeing, disease prevention, and how to utilize complementary and alternative therapies. 

Career Preparation

Are there med peds faculty? Is mentorship available?

Yes, UCSD has Med-Peds faculty across the institution as well as strong connections with Med-Peds physicians in the community. Residents benefit from many mentorship opportunities, including dedicated class mentors, biannual 1-on-1 meetings with program leadership, Career Night, and new specialty-focused Career Mentorship Groups, all designed to support career development in primary care, hospital medicine, subspecialties, and global health.

What careers does your program prepare residents for?

Our program provides balanced, rigorous training in both internal medicine and pediatrics, and residents are well-prepared for careers in any field within med peds – primary care, hospital medicine, or subspecialty training (including combined fellowships)! We have many graduates in each of these areas and a strong alumni network!

Living in San Diego and Program Benefits

San Diego sounds like an amazing place to live, but can I afford it on a resident salary?

Yes! San Diego is an expensive city, but our resident salaries are quite high, allowing our trainees to live comfortably here. San Diego offers something for everyone with the many vibrant neighborhoods here, from city to beaches to more rural areas. Many of our residents live alone, have pets, and can travel and enjoy the city on their salary. See our resident salaries and benefits here: UCSD Med Peds Resident/Intern Salaries & Benefits

What benefits are offered to residents at UCSD?

UCSD offers a comprehensive benefits package for residents, with fully subsidized healthcare, dental and vision insurance at no cost to trainees. Additional resources include fertility and family-building support through Carrot, as well as robust mental health and wellness services through the Healer Education and Assessment (HEAR) program and Headspace app. These benefits are designed to support residents’ health and wellbeing throughout training — more details are available here: UC Resident/Intern Benefits