Rheumatology Fellowship

Advanced training in autoimmune and musculoskeletal disorders

Rheumatology fellow consults with a patient.

The Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Rheumatology Fellowship Program is designed for physicians who want to pursue careers in academic rheumatology or clinical practice.


For more than 40 years, graduates of the program have received exceptional training across a broad spectrum of rheumatic diseases and conditions. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the two-year fellowship features top-notch faculty and robust research opportunities.

Program highlights

  • Work in clinic settings which see about 3,500 new patient referrals and more than 14,000 return visits each year
  • Additional training available in pediatric rheumatology at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego
  • Attend and present at city-wide rheumatology grand rounds

Program attributes

The Division of Rheumatology at Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital has offered an outstanding fellowship in rheumatology for more than 40 years. The program’s rich history includes groundbreaking research in the identification and characterization of anti-nuclear antibodies and the original design of cladribine as an anti-lymphocyte compound. The program’s faculty has included two presidents of the American College of Rheumatology.


The training program provides a fellowship experience that combines exceptional clinical training with the opportunity to pursue rigorous basic or clinical research relevant to the rheumatic diseases. Graduates of the fellowship have pursued careers in clinical care, clinical research, pharmaceutical/biotechnology research and academic medicine.

About the Division of Rheumatology

A vital component of the department of medicine at Scripps Clinic, the division of rheumatology is comprised of seven full-time faculty members. All are widely regarded clinicians and educators who care for patients from throughout the Southwest United States.


The rheumatology team cares for patients at the main Torrey Pines campus, where the fellowship is based, and at five satellite clinics throughout the San Diego area. All Clinic locations share a common ambulatory electronic health record interfaced with the hospital electronic medical record (EMR), a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a health information exchange (HIE) and a patient portal.

Training sites and curriculum

Fellows learn clinical rheumatology from eight full-time faculty members in the Division of Rheumatology at Scripps Clinic in inpatient and outpatient care.

Training sites

Inpatient care

Under the supervision of an attending rheumatologist, fellows provide inpatient consulting services for patients with varied rheumatologic conditions at Scripps Green Hospital.


Outpatient care

The fellowship is based at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines, but fellows have the opportunity to learn and treat patients at five satellite Scripps Clinic locations throughout San Diego County. Each Scripps Clinic facility shares a common ambulatory electronic health record (AERH) that interfaces with the electronic medical records (EMR) at all Scripps hospitals, the picture archiving and communication system (PACS), the health information exchange (HIE) and the myScripps patient portal.


Elective opportunities

Pediatric rheumatology experience is offered through an affiliation with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. A one-month rotation at Naval Medical Center San Diego, a tertiary care referral and training center, complements the rheumatology fellowship experience.

Clinical training

Fellows learn clinical rheumatology from faculty members in the division and care for their own patients during a twice weekly continuity clinic. Each year, the Division of Rheumatology at Scripps Clinic had almost 3,500 new patient referrals and 14,000 return patient visits. In addition to this robust outpatient exposure, fellows under the supervision of an attending consult rheumatologist, provide inpatient consulting services for patients with varied rheumatologic conditions at Scripps Green Hospital.


Clinical training is heavily emphasized during the first year of fellowship and continued throughout the second year. Rheumatology fellows serve as the responsible physician for their own group of patients under the supervision of faculty preceptors, ensuring continuity of care and an excellent longitudinal clinical experience.


Additional clinical training experience in pediatric rheumatology is offered through an affiliation with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. At Scripps Clinic, musculoskeletal radiology, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and a curriculum in bone metabolism are integrated into the two-year fellowship. A one-month rotation at Naval Medical Center San Diego, a tertiary care referral and training center, complements the fellowship experience.


Elective time is used to participate in areas of special interest to the fellow such as electrodiagnostics (EMG-NCV), pain management, orthopedic subspecialties, and rehabilitation medicine.

Research training

Second year fellows have the opportunity to design and carry out original research in a clinical, translational, or basic science area under the guidance of an experienced investigator. Clinical research in rheumatology, collaborative studies with other fields of medicine, and basic/translational research can all be pursued depending on the interest of the fellow. Scripps Clinic is situated on a campus shared with the Scripps Research Institute (SRI) and the Scripps Translational Science Institute (TSRI), providing the fellow with ready research opportunities.


The Salk Institute, the Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Research Institute, the Scripps Center for Orthopedic Research, the University of California at San Diego, and a number of biotechnology and research centers are located in La Jolla — within a short distance of Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. They offer a variety of research opportunities in areas such as:


  • Immune regulation
  • Vascular biology
  • Drug design and development
  • Autoantibody mechanisms


Fellows have protected time during their second year for research efforts.

Conferences

During the course of their fellowship, fellows assume major responsibility for participating in divisional conferences. The rheumatology fellowship at Scripps has two teaching conferences every week on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Conference types include journal club, research presentations, clinical case conferences, core curriculum lectures, and a board review course. Scripps Clinic and UCSD collaborate in presenting a city-wide Rheumatology Grand Rounds series.


Fellows also attend biweekly musculoskeletal radiology rounds with fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists to enhance their skill reading plain films and to promote an understanding of the role of complex imaging studies including MRI, CT, and CT/PET in assessing patients with rheumatologic disease. Training in musculoskeletal ultrasound was incorporated into the fellowship program in 2012. The teaching program and curriculum is organized around a two-year teaching cycle that guides the rheumatology fellows in a directed program of learning.

Salary and benefits

Annual salary


Scripps Clinic/Green Hospital fellowship pay and benefits:


  • PGY IV year - $88,544
  • PGY V year - $92,544


(Includes a $5,000 housing stipend)

Insurance, leave and other benefits

Insurance

  • Health and dental insurance plans are available for fellows and their dependents for a minimal cost. Fellows may participate in the Scripps Wellness program to reduce their health care premiums. Confidential counseling and psychological support services are available on request.
  • Life insurance coverage, up to $1,000,000, is available for fellows and their dependents.
  • Long-term disability insurance, at Scripps rates, is available for purchase. State Disability Insurance is paid by the fellow. The State of California requires this contribution.
  • Fellows are covered by malpractice insurance while performing services within the scope of their training at Scripps Clinic. The liability limit is $5,000,000 per claim/$5,000,000 annually. Tail coverage is provided.


Educational expenses

Scripps provides an educational expense allowance annually to each fellow for professional meetings and conferences, books and journals, professional dues and other educational expenses.


Vacations and leave

Fellows receive 20 vacation days annually. Six paid sick days are allotted annually. Parental and other leaves of absence follow Scripps policy and California State Law. Substantial absences may necessitate additional rotations to complete training.


Other benefits

  • Lab coats and scrubs are provided and laundered by Scripps.
  • Paid parking in the adjacent gated and covered structure is provided at no cost.
  • A full-service cafeteria is located in the hospital.
  • Call rooms are provided.

How to apply

Apply for a Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital fellowship program

Apply to the rheumatology fellowship 

Applicants interested in applying to fellowship, should apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).


All interviews will be virtual this year based on the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Recommendations.  


Applicants interested in applying to Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology, do not apply in ERAS and should refer to the program link for information on applying.


Please provide the following:


  • Completed application
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Three endorsement letters (one from a residency program director and two from subspecialty faculty members)
  • Medical school transcript
  • ECFMG certificate (if applicable)
  • USMLE transcript or Comlex scores


Matching program


Programs that use the Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP) of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP):



Visit NRMP to register for a match.


Visit SF Match to register for Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology.

Who can apply

  • Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, an ACGME-accredited residency program.
  • All licenses, ECFMG certification, and professional certifications are the applicant’s responsibility.
  • Scripps Clinic does not operate its own J-1 or H-1 visa program.
  • MUST have a current California Physician's and Surgeon's License and DEA certificate by start date. Please see Medical Board of California requirements for licensure.

Contact us

To learn more about the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green, contact Dawn Curtis at 858-554-3200 or

curtis.dawn@scrippshealth.org.