Fellowship in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine

1. Applicants must hold a medical degree (Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine).
2. Applicants must complete a three-year residency in Internal Medicine accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) before beginning the fellowship.
3. Exceptionally qualified applicants may be considered after two years of Internal Medicine residency, typically in coordination with a Physician-Scientist Training Program.
4. International medical graduates must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Foreign medical graduates with Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE), or Flex certificates may be considered if they have permanent resident status.
5. Applicants generally must not require H-1B or J-1 visa sponsorship because the program’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant does not support these visa categories. Exceptional applicants may contact the program to clarify eligibility.

The Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship is offered by the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) School of Medicine in La Jolla, California. UC San Diego is a public research university known for its medical education, clinical care, and scientific research. Its School of Medicine provides advanced postgraduate training across various medical specialties. This three-year fellowship combines comprehensive clinical training, procedural experience, and research opportunities to prepare physicians to manage complex respiratory diseases and critically ill patients. Fellows train at Jacobs Medical Center, UC San Diego Medical Center–Hillcrest, and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, gaining experience in intensive care, pulmonary vascular medicine, lung transplantation, interventional pulmonology, cystic fibrosis, and sleep medicine. The program also provides mentored research and academic development to support careers in clinical practice, medical education, and research.

1. Submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
2. Complete the ERAS application form.
3. Prepare and submit a personal statement.
4. Submit the medical school Dean’s Letter (Medical Student Performance Evaluation).
5. Provide the medical school transcript.
6. Obtain at least three letters of recommendation, including one from the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. A letter from a research supervisor is desirable for applicants with prior research experience.
7. Consider using the program signaling option in ERAS. Signaling is one factor in interview selection and does not guarantee an interview.
8. Participate in the virtual interview process if invited. Interviews are generally held between September and October.
9. Register and participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) fellowship match. The program code is 1049156F0.
10. Complete the required institutional credentialing and onboarding procedures before starting the fellowship.