Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency

Training internists for excellence and compassionate care

Members of the Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency program gather for a photo.

Training internists for excellence and compassionate care

Our mission is to train internists for excellence and compassionate care. To that end, the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego seeks to provide outstanding training for future internists, hospitalists and subspecialists, who are equipped to pursue clinical and academic excellence while developing a vision for service through medicine and especially for the underserved and marginalized.


Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego is the primary clinical education site for approximately 60 residents annually from several GME programs. These include internal medicine, transitional year, pharmacy and podiatric medicine residency programs. We’re also a secondary training site for residents from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD); Kaiser Permanente San Diego; Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista; Family Health Centers of San Diego; the Naval Medical Center; and the San Ysidro Health Center.


Located minutes from downtown San Diego, Scripps Mercy provides care to people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, including the underserved. Our curriculum provides a solid educational foundation with exceptional didactics and a culture that promotes professional growth and autonomy. In the inpatient setting, residents train in a busy, high-acuity environment with ample exposure to complex cases and pathology. Our outpatient experience combines core subspecialty clinics, private offices and a true continuity clinic, where residents manage their own panel of primary care patients over the course of three years.


Scripps Mercy’s department of medical education, faculty and hospital administration are committed to resident education and success. Our graduates are superbly trained and well-equipped for future careers in internal medicine. Residents have successfully matched into competitive fellowships in a variety of internal medicine subspecialties and landed competitive jobs in Southern California and across the country.

Program highlights

Message from the program director

Message from the program director

Our director summarizes how the internal medicine residency program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego offers trainees an exceptional experience.

Photo of Paul Han, MD, the program director for Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency in San Diego.

Training sites

Residents complete their inpatient internal medicine training and multiple inpatient subspecialty rotations at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. Our continuity and core subspecialty clinics are housed across the street at The Hillcrest Family Health Center. We also offer rotations at La Maestra Community Health Center, Scripps Green Hospital, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Scripps La Jolla specialty clinics, Prebys Cancer Center, Prebys Cardiovascular Institute, and numerous clinics and outpatient offices in the community. We also support and provide ample opportunity for audition/away rotations.

Curriculum, rotations and didactics

Learn more about the comprehensive clinical and didactic experiences we offer our internal medicine residents.

Research opportunities

Internal medicine residents at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego have access to numerous research opportunities within the institution and beyond. Our scholarly endeavors frequently result in significant publications and national presentations (PDF, 540 KB).


The Scripps Mercy Graduate Medical Education Research Committee, in partnership with The Scripps Hub Academic Research Core (SHARC) team, works very closely with residents to provide guidance in all aspects of clinical research. This streamlined process allows refining of study proposal, timely acquisition of IRB approval and necessary clinical data, and access to expert statisticians. Furthermore, residents receive financial support to present their research at both national and international meetings.  


Residents can pursue up to three months of research, which can be split up into different academic years or combined into a longer stretch to allow for completion of more time-consuming projects.


In addition to projects at Scripps Mercy, many residents take advantage of research opportunities at other local institutions, including the Scripps Research Institute and UCSD. Our program is also open to allowing residents to work on research projects at other institutions across the country.

Geller research competition

The annual Jack and Sue Geller Research Competition allows residents an opportunity to submit and present entries to the following categories:


  • Our presentation of case report or original research
  • Poster presentation of case report or original research
  • Medical arts (e.g., music, painting and poetry)
  • Culinary arts


The competition is named in honor of Jack Geller, MD, former director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, and his wife, Sue, who is a professional artist. Financial awards are given to the top entries in each category.

Faculty and residents

Scripps internal medicine residents learn and work alongside experienced physicians and faculty who enjoy teaching, researchers, and other talented trainees (residents and medical students).

Faculty

The faculty at Scripps Mercy San Diego is committed to resident success and excellence in medical education. Our teaching faculty come from programs all over the country, including Harvard, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, UCSD, UCLA, Northwestern, UC San Francisco, University of Washington, OHSU and our very own Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

Current residents

The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego offers 14 first-year resident (PGY-1) positions each year. Our diverse group of residents come from all over the country and bring with them a broad range of experience.


Resident life

Welcome barbecue

We kick off each year with the annual welcome barbecue during orientation week, where current residents and many of our current faculty attendings meet and greet the incoming interns. The venues tend to change every year, but we’re guaranteed to enjoy the sunny California weather! 


Halloween party

Residents dress up for this annual event, held at various local venues throughout the San Diego area.


Holiday party

Scripps Mercy’s holiday party sets the standard for resident wellness. The location varies each year, but recent venues have included Animae, Stone Brewery and the Shout House.


Graduation dinner

We end each academic year with a formal graduation dinner at Bahia Resort Hotel, adjacent to Mission Bay, where residents attend with their families and guests to be recognized for their accomplishments. 


Resident wellness

Our resident wellness committee plans several exciting activities throughout the year, including hiking, bubble soccer and yoga on the hospital rooftop. Our residents also meet up frequently for brunch, beach volleyball, surfing and Padres games. Additionally, the residents participate in a retreat with their peers, which can include a day of mini-golf, beach volleyball, a lunch picnic, museum visit, etc.


Resident retreat 

Starting in 2024, residents were excused from clinical activities in the spring to attend a resident retreat. The activities vary based on resident feedback. Last year, residents were treated to a catered breakfast, followed by tickets to the Van Gogh immersive experience, a picnic in the park and mini-golf. 

Fellowship and career plans

Scripps Mercy has a local and national reputation for producing excellent internists, hospitalists and subspecialists. On average, 40% of our residents pursue fellowship opportunities while 60% choose careers as hospitalists or in primary care. Many of our graduates remain in the Scripps system, while others land competitive jobs both locally and in markets across the country. Some pursue teaching positions and train the physicians of tomorrow.


View a list of our graduates’ post-residency jobs (PDF, 160 KB).


View a list of our graduates’ post-residency fellowship positions (PDF, 280 KB).

Salary and benefits

Annual salary (2024-2025 academic year)

PGY-1 resident salary: $80,078

PGY-2 resident salary: $81,125

PGY-3 resident salary: $85,053

Chief resident salary: $109,299

How to apply

Our categorical, three-year internal medicine residency program offers 14 positions. The Scripps Mercy Hospital Residency Selection Committee reviews all applications, weighing academic performance, clinical performance, letters of recommendation, communication skills, motivation and professionalism.


In accordance with the Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education Review Committee (UGRC) and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), the Scripps Mercy Internal Medicine Residency Program will be hosting another 100% virtual interview experience for this application cycle. We do not currently offer in-person second looks.