Applicants

How to Apply to Our Residency Program

The UC Irvine Department of Emergency Medicine's residency program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We only consider applications submitted through ERAS. Applicant files are reviewed only after all supporting documentation is received. Interviews are by invitation only.

Average statistics for applicants who received an interview invitation from our program in 2022 are:

• USMLE Step 1: 233
• USMLE Step 2CK: 247
• Number of clerkship honors (out of 6): 2 (COVID-impacted: Many medical schools adjusted their tiered grading to a variation of satisfactory/unsatisfactory or credit/no credit during the pandemic)

Notice to International Applicants: The UC Irvine Department of Emergency Medicine’s residency program accepts ECFMG issued J-1 visas. 

Notice to applicants: Per the Medical Board of California, effective January 1, 2020, in order to meet the education requirements required to be licensed in the state of California applicants must have received all of their medical school education from and graduated from a:

1. U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation; or LCME Accredited U.S. Programs
2. A foreign medical school which has been evaluated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) or one of the ECFMG authorized foreign medical school accreditation agencies and deemed to meet the minimum requirements substantially equivalent to the requirements of medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. The foreign medical school is listed on the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) World Directory of Medical Schools joint directory, or the World Directory of Medical Schools; or World Directory of Medical Schools
3. A foreign medical school that has been approved by the Medical Board of California (Board).

All first-year postgraduate appointments are made through the National Resident Matching Program. We encourage you to have a complete application by October 1. Applications must include:

• Completed ERAS Application Form
• Three (3) Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE)/Letters of Recommendation (LoR)
  • Program highly recommends a minimum of (2) Group SLOEs from Emergency Medicine Rotations
  • Non-traditional applicants without the opportunity to obtain group SLOEs will be considered with 3 traditional LoRs
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
• Medical school transcripts
• M.D. Applicant Board Scores: USMLE I and II Clinical Knowledge (CK) transcript
• D.O. Applicant Board scores: COMPLEX-USA Level 1, COMPLEX-USA Level 2 Cognitive Evaluation (CE), and USMLE Step 2-CK transcripts (COMPLEX will not be considered in place of the USMLE Step 2-CK)   
• Personal statement

Virtual Interview Days and Socials

Interviews are scheduled on Wednesdays (12:00PM-5:00PM) from early-November through mid-December with two Thursdays (one in November and one in December; 8:00AM-1:00PM). All interview days run on Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Our Chief Residents have decided on two virtual social events a season to facilitate maximum turnout of residents and encourage a lively evening for all parties. These events are organized by our Chief Residents and details will be sent out to scheduled applicants during the interview season.

2023-2024 Interview Season

The University of California (UC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Offices and UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Residency Program support the 2023 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) interview guidance for the 2023-2024 recruitment cycle.

“The AAMC recommends that residency and fellowship programs use a virtual interview format. Reducing the cost of interviewing is a critical step in widening access and improving equity. In addition, initial, specialty-specific studies indicate that applicants prefer virtual interviews and virtual interviewing is consistent with the commitment academic medicine has made to reduce our environmental impact.”

To promote an equitable and transparent selection program, the UC GME Offices and UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Residency Program support the AAMC recommendation to use a virtual interview format for the 2023-2024 recruitment season.

• All University of California medical residency and fellowship programs that function under the Office of GME must conduct only virtual interviews for all selected applicants during the 2023 - 2024 academic year.
• Any in-person visits or “second looks” may be completed only after the program completes all virtual interviews and “locks” the rank order list (ROL). Even if the “locking” option is not yet offered by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) or other online system used for the trainee selection process, the program must still make all efforts to comply. Rank order lists should not be altered after any applicants’ in-person visits.
• Applicants will not be required to travel. In-person visits will not influence the programs’ rank order lists.
• Hybrid interviewing (combination of virtual and in-person interviews in the same year or program) is not permitted, because of the risk of inequities resulting from applicants’ different resources and abilities to visit in person.
• Programs must share their interview process with applicants as early as possible in the selection cycle to minimize applicant stress and optimize transparency.

Inquiries should be addressed to:

Jessica Holland, C-TAGME
Program Coordinator, UC Irvine Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine 
101 The City Drive South, RT.128-01
Orange, California 92868
Email: jmhollan@hs.uci.edu