How to Apply

Residency Program: Application Process

We participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Please provide the following information via ERAS:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Personal Statement
3. Medical School Transcript
4. USMLE Scores
5. Dean's Letter (MSPE)
6. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation:

  • One letter must be from an anesthesiologist. We prefer, but do not require, that letters from anesthesiologists are written using this standardized letter format.
  • We highly recommend that one letter come from a medicine attending (medicine chair preferred), especially if you are applying for one of the Categorical tracks.


Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their application materials have been completed and properly submitted to ERAS. The Resident Selection Committee will review all completed applications and will select applicants for interviews. We are committed to advancing and sustaining opportunity for all applicants.

Due to the large number of applicants, interviews will be arranged by invitation only. All 2025-2026 interviews will be held virtually.

ERAS Signaling and Geographic Preferences

The Anesthesia Residency will be participating in this year's ERAS geographic and program signaling process. Priority for application review and interviews will be given to applicants who signal our program. We encourage applicants who are excited about our program to apply and signal their interest.

Residency “Tracks” and NRMP Codes

We offer “categorical” and “advanced” tracks, in addition to our Critical Care Scholars and AIRR (Research Scholars) programs. You do not need to interview separately for each track. You will be considered equally for all tracks that you indicate interest in and will only be interviewed once.

Although you will only interview once, you must still separately rank each track of interest on your final rank list.

NRMP codes for each track are below:
Categorical: 1062040C0
Advanced: 1062040A0
Critical Care: 1062040C2
Research: 1062040C1
Physician Only/Reserved: 1062040R0

You may visit the UCSF Graduate Medical Education website for appointment information, contracts, policies, and guidelines.

Contact us: [email protected]

PLEASE NOTE THIS UCSF GME POLICY: A passing score on USMLE Step II is required for all trainees beginning a UCSF GME program. To meet this requirement, applicants should have passed USMLE Step II prior to placement on UCSF rank order lists. In selected cases, with the approval of the Program Director and the Office of GME, applicants may be placed on UCSF rank order lists without the USMLE Step II score.

Interview Information

Due to the large number of applicants, interviews will be arranged by invitation only. We will begin comprehensively reviewing applications on October 1. Interview invitations will be issued via ERAS on a weekly basis beginning on October 8 through November 12.

We will email candidates who are declined an interview starting mid-October and continuing on a weekly basis until November 16. If you are declined an interview, you may send a letter of appeal to [email protected] with the subject line "Appeal for Residency Interview" followed by your AAMC ID number. Within a week, you will receive a reply only if you are granted an interview position on appeal.

Our interview dates are in October, November, December, and January. All interviews will be conducted virtually. The interview day will end by 2 p.m. You will receive additional information with the interview invitation.

Resident Salaries and Benefits

Salary combined with housing allowance as of July 1, 2024:

PGY Monthly Rate Annual Rate
1 $7,690.33 $92,284.00
2 $7,898.08 $94,777.00
3 $8,152.42 $97,829.00
4 $8,418.08 $101,017.00

Residents also received an annual housing allowance that is already INCLUDED in the above salaries. For more information on resident salary and benefits, visit the GME Resident and Fellow Resource Hub.

Health Benefits

UCSF residents and fellows have medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage. Visit the resident and fellow Insurance webpage for information on how to enroll and the health benefits page for more information on each of these benefits.

Application Process

For applicants participating in the NRMP match, the due date for submission is November 1.

We do not have absolute cut-off scores for granting interviews. In 2024, the national mean for anesthesia applicants was 234 for Step 1 and 252 for Step 2 CK. Your performance on the USMLE will be considered with the rest of your application materials.

A passing score on both parts of USMLE Step II is required for all trainees beginning a UCSF GME program. To meet this requirement, applicants should have passed USMLE Step II  prior to placement on UCSF rank order lists. In selected cases, with the approval of the Program Director and the Office of GME, applicants may be placed on UCSF rank order lists without the USMLE Step II score.

No. In the past, we have accepted transfers into the CA-2 class at the start of the academic year, but this is dependent upon availability of positions. We encourage senior residents to apply to our fellowships.

Interview Process and Scheduling

No, you do not have to interview separately for each track. You will be considered equally for both tracks – in fact, the same rank list will be submitted to the NRMP at the conclusion of our interview season. Although you will only need to interview once, you will still need to separately rank our categorical and advanced tracks on your final rank list.

We use the waitlist feature of thalamusgme.com.

We request a minimum 7-day notice of cancellation in order to provide interview opportunities to other applicants.

Program Structure and Training

UCSF offers an amazing ICU training experience. Anesthesia residents get the opportunity to take care of complex patients as part of a multidisciplinary critical care team. Logistically, categorical residents spend a total of 6 months and advanced track residents spend 4 months in the ICUs at the three main UCSF hospitals (Moffitt, ZSFG, and the VA). Each hospital has a slightly different ICU system.

Here is a breakdown of the specifics for each of the three hospitals:

  • Moffitt: There are five adult ICUs: one medical unit, one surgical unit, two neurological/neurosurgical units, and one cardiac unit.
  • ZSFG: There are three adult ICUs: one trauma/surgical/neuro unit, and two medical units. The medical ICUs are staffed primarily by the Medicine department. The trauma ICU is staffed by attendings, fellows, and residents from Anesthesia and Surgery.
  • VA: There is one medical-surgical ICU. This unit is staffed by attendings and residents from Anesthesia and Medicine.

Yes, of course! Babies are welcomed and celebrated here at UCSF. Maternity and Paternity leave is available! Family commitments and duties are valued and prioritized. Nannies and daycare are available, but these options can be expensive. Many of the residents and even faculty split the cost of a nanny with another family to help mitigate the expense.

The number can vary slightly from year to year, but we generally offer 10 categorical positions (2 reserved for Critical Care Scholars applicant and 2 reserved for AIRR Research Scholars applicants ) and 16 advanced positions (1 reserved for Physician Only applicants). The same application and interview process is used for both tracks, and you do not need to decide prior to the interview day. Again, you will still need to separately rank each track on your final rank list.

Funding for Educational Resources

Yes, the department will pay for the following professional society memberships, which include subscriptions to the journals Anesthesiology, and Anesthesia & Analgesia:

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
  • California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA)
  • International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS)

Yes, the department provides an "educational stipend" of $2,000 that residents can use to purchase educational materials or attend conferences. This is disbursed across the CA-1 to CA-3 training years. Interns receive a $500 stipend for use during their intern year.

International/IMG Applicants

The selection process is similar for all candidates. We conduct a comprehensive review of all applicants to determine the best fit for our challenging program. Because of the large variation in the formal training and clinical experiences offered by many international medical schools, IMGs are at a disadvantage in competing for our program. By contrast, we have a long track record of evaluating candidates who are trained in the relatively uniform curricular and clinical environments offered by U.S. medical schools. While we have no formal criteria, and each applicant is evaluated individually, the following qualities will suggest readiness for the educational, clinical, and cultural requirements of the American medical system and our residency training program:

  Academic achievement
   - Dean's Letter indicating top 10% of graduates, with top 10% clinical evaluations
   - USMLE 1, 2, 3 greater than one standard deviation above the mean (e.g., > 230)
   - Significant specialty training in their country (e.g., equivalent of board certified)
   - Other academic achievements (e.g., research)

  Clinical experience in the US
   - Amount of clinical experience in US
   - Responsibility during clinical experience (e.g., more than observerships)
   - Recommendation letters from US clinical experience

The application requirements are described above. In addition, we require the following for international medical graduates:

1. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): current, valid certificate
2. "Applicant Evaluation Status Letter" from the California Medical Board
3. National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) enrollment
4. Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) will sponsor a J-1 visa for candidates. Please refer to their website at: http://www.ecfmg.org. We do not accept H1B visas.