Applications are submitted through ERAS. The match is run by AMIA. Two positions per academic year, open to physicians from any ABMS specialty.
The fellowship is open to physicians who have completed an ACGME-accredited primary residency in any ABMS specialty.
Above all, the most important qualification is a genuine passion for using technology to improve patient care. A clear, well-articulated reason for pursuing clinical informatics matters far more than any particular skill set. Other skills can help — writing code, running improvement projects, building informatics tools in residency — but none of them are required, and no prior CI exposure is expected. Fellowship is the training; we're not looking for fellows who already know how to do everything.
What we look for: curiosity about clinical systems, willingness to take on hands-on build work, ability to read evidence critically, and a clinical perspective that informs your informatics intuitions.
The Electronic Residency Application Service is the front door. Open the UCSD Clinical Informatics Fellowship in your ERAS dashboard and submit the standard packet.
Interviews are virtual. Screening happens through your ERAS application — after we review it, invited candidates complete a half-day with faculty. Rank lists are submitted through the AMIA match.
Identify 3 letter writers, give them lead time, share your draft personal statement.
Application packet uploaded. Letters go directly from writers via ERAS.
UCSD reviews ERAS applications and selects candidates to invite for interviews.
Multiple faculty sessions and current fellow Q&A.
AMIA portal closes. Match results released simultaneously to all programs.
Block 1 orientation and milestone self-assessment.
Letters of recommendation. One letter is required from your Residency Program Director. For the two additional letters, we recommend that if you've done informatics work with a mentor, one come from that person. Substantive letters from people who know your work well are far more helpful than generic letters from senior figures who don't.
Personal statement. One page. We're looking for evidence you understand what clinical informatics actually is — not just that you "like technology." The most compelling statements describe a specific problem you've encountered clinically and reasoned about as a systems issue.
Portfolio / projects (optional). If you've built informatics products in residency — order sets, dashboards, custom scripts, prediction models, published improvement work — link to them. We read this stuff.
Visa applicants. Contact the program coordinator early. J-1 sponsorship is the typical pathway through UC San Diego; H-1B is possible but requires additional lead time.
No. Many of our strongest fellows arrived with no formal CI training. What matters most is a genuine passion for clinical informatics, sound clinical judgment, and a clear reason for choosing the subspecialty. Skills like coding or prior project work can be helpful, but they are in no way required.
Submit through ERAS: a personal statement, CV, and letters of recommendation — one is required from your Residency Program Director, and for the two additional letters we recommend one come from an informatics mentor if you've worked with someone. You'll also provide your MSPE / Dean's letter (an application-document requirement from our Graduate Medical Education department) and your ITE report. Applicants who graduated from an international medical school must also submit an ECFMG certificate.
Any ABMS specialty. Recent and current fellows have come from Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Radiology, and Family Medicine among others. Board certification is through the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) — your residency specialty doesn't determine your career trajectory in CI.
Yes — fully funded ACGME PGY-level positions through UC San Diego. Salary follows the UC San Diego PGY scale (PGY equivalent based on years of postgraduate training completed). Fellows receive full UC San Diego house staff benefits, including health insurance, retirement, and an educational allowance. Fellows are appointed on the UC San Diego House Staff contract, as negotiated between the local CIR affiliate and the health system. Specific current-year numbers will be added once confirmed with GME.
Yes. Most fellows maintain some clinical practice in their primary specialty — typically 1–2 days per week or equivalent — for clinical credibility and personal preference.
Every fellow completes a scholarly project before exit. Acceptable forms include a national-conference abstract or podium presentation, a peer-reviewed publication, or a documented institutional implementation. Many fellows produce more than one.
J-1 sponsorship is the typical pathway through UC San Diego. H-1B is considered case-by-case with adequate lead time. Contact the program coordinator early in the application cycle if you require sponsorship — the timing windows are real.
Yes — and it's strongly encouraged. Year II has flexibility to support a research-track project, and fellows pursuing academic CI careers typically collaborate with faculty in DBMI or the Center for Health Innovation. Several recent graduates produced peer-reviewed publications during fellowship. The fellowship is operationally grounded, but scholarship and research are actively supported.
Interviews are virtual. Screening is handled through your ERAS application; invited candidates do a half-day of Zoom sessions with faculty. Candidates may visit San Diego if they want, but it isn't required for ranking. We try to make the process as low-friction as possible for residents and early-career physicians.
Email the program coordinator. We're genuinely happy to talk to prospective applicants ahead of the application cycle. See the contact section below.
For application questions, ERAS technicalities, and scheduling.
For substantive program questions and prospective applicant introductions.
The application window is short; the consequences are long. Submit through ERAS, rank UCSD on your AMIA list, and we'll see you in San Diego.