Residency Program Application Process Curriculum Message from the Chief Residents Our Residents Resident Life Rotations & Locations UC Irvine/AAP Badges Project Application Process Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program Home Research Research: Clinical Departments PM&R: Home PM&R: Education & Training PM&R: Education & Training > Residency Program PM&R: Education & Training > Residency Program > Application Process How to Apply Thank you for your interest in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency program at UC Irvine School of Medicine. To apply, complete and submit your application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Requirements All residency applications must include the following documents: ERAS Application Curriculum Vitae Personal Statement – Allows the residency committee to get to know applicants and the attributes that make them a good fit for PM&R Dean’s Letter Medical School Transcript Three Letters of Recommendation – At least one letter should be from a PM&R supervisor or advisor USMLE or COMLEX Scores Photo We do not accept hard copy applications or supporting documents sent via the U.S. Postal Service or email. Program Prerequisites Preliminary Year Applicants must complete a preliminary/transitional year in a program accredited by: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) American Orthopaedic Association Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada College of Family Physicians of Canada ACGME-I accredited residency programs Exams All matched applicants must pass the following exams before starting residency: MDs: USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 DOs: COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE, and Level 3 International Medical Graduates We may consider applications from qualified international medical graduates through ERAS. International medical graduate applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. J visas are acceptable in select situations. Please note that your medical school must be on the state board’s list of approved institutions. Unfortunately, the university does not sponsor H-1B visas. Clinical experience (with supportive letters) in the United States is strongly recommended for international graduates. We also prefer applicants who have graduated from medical school within the previous three to five years and have been involved in clinical care since graduation. Interviews Interviews are scheduled from late November through late January. The deadline to submit a completed ERAS application and supporting documentation (including Step 2/Level 2 score) is October 31. If you have special circumstances that prevent you from meeting this deadline, please feel free to reach out to our program with questions or concerns. All interviews will be conducted virtually this year, as determined by the University of California. Our residents will host Zoom-based social activities before your interview to allow you the opportunity to get to know our residents and learn about the program from their perspective. On the day of your interview, there will be multiple rounds of interviews, during which time you will have the opportunity to meet our faculty. UC Irvine School of Medicine Statement on the ACGME-Accredited Residency and Fellowship Interview Season The UC Schools of Medicine have reached consensus agreement regarding the residency and fellowship interview season for the academic year: All interviews must be held remotely, even if the candidate lives locally. This policy is in alignment with guidance provided by the Coalition for Physician Accountability, which is composed of key national medical educational stakeholders, such as the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), LCME, AAMC, AMA and the ACGME. We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions, please contact our residency program coordinator, Jesus Garcia, at jesusg5@hs.uci.edu. Frequently Asked Questions What is the USMLE Step 2 CK or COMLEX Level 2 minimum score requirement? Is there an attempt limit for either exam? We do not have a minimum score requirement. Each application is reviewed with personal circumstances noted if mentioned in the personal statement, and significant improvements from step/level to step/level are considered. When do applicants need to obtain ECFMG certification? Confirmation of ECFMG certification is required before submission of our rank order list. Do you have a program application deadline? Our application deadline is October 31. Do you have a time-since-graduation cutoff? No. Is U.S. clinical experience required? No. Per the ACGME Common Program Requirements, “All prerequisite postgraduate clinical education required for initial entry or transfer into ACGME-accredited residency programs must be completed in ACGME-accredited residency programs, AOA-approved residency programs, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)-accredited or College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)-accredited residency programs located in Canada, or in residency programs with ACGME International (ACGME-I) Advanced Specialty Accreditation.” Do you have any specific requirements for letters of recommendation? We recommend that at least one of your letters be from a physiatrist. Should I signal UC Irvine if I rotated or will rotate at UC Irvine? UC Irvine follows AAMC ERAS specialty-specific guidance for program signaling. As guidance and signal numbers change each year, we encourage you to seek up-to-date information on the AAMC ERAS website. For the 2024-2025 application year, the guidance for PM&R was to signal home institutions and rotation sites. Should I send a letter of interest or letter of intent to the program? Although your communications with the program are always welcome, communication outside of your ERAS application and interview are neither encouraged nor required. As we are diligently reviewing over 400 applications each year in a holistic manner, we appreciate your understanding that letters of interest, letters of intent and thank-you messages will not always generate a response and will not impact your application scores or ranking position. We do encourage your questions, concerns and important application updates and will do our best to respond to these in an expeditious manner. Second looks will not be permitted until after our rank list has been finalized and locked and will also be contingent upon faculty availability. Have Questions? Contact our Residency Program Coordinator if you need additional information regarding our program. Contact Us