How To Apply to Our Program

Application Process

Applications for Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Internal Medicine Residency Program must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

M.D. and D.O. graduates from U.S. schools may register for ERAS through their deans' offices. The ECFMG serves as the dean's office for all international medical graduates. A request for an ERAS Application Kit is available on the ECFMG homepage.

Standard Application Requirements are:

• Standard ERAS application
• 3 letters of recommendation (one of them preferably the chair’s letter)
• Personal Statement
• Transcripts
• USMLE/COMLEX Scores
• Dean’s letter/MSPE

Interviews are by invitation only.

International Applicants

At this time, Sutter Health does not sponsor J-1, H-1B, or other types of visas. Employment Authorization Document (EAD) will be considered. Applicants must have approved EAD upon start date of the program and maintain EAD active status throughout training duration. International Medical Graduates are welcome to apply to our residency and fellowship programs provided they meet the following requirements:

1. Authorization to Work in the United States Applicants must have appropriate work authorization at the time of application and for the duration of training.
2. Medical School Recognition
   Applicants must have received all medical education from, and graduated from:
   1. A U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA); or
   2. A foreign medical school evaluated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) or an ECFMG-authorized foreign medical school accreditation agency, and determined to meet the minimum requirements substantially equivalent to LCME, CACMS, or COCA standards; and
      1. The school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (maintained by the World Federation for Medical Education [WFME] and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research [FAIMER]), or approved by the Medical Board of California.
3. Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) 
   As of January 1, 2020, the Medical Board of California no longer issues a PTAL to International Medical Graduates. A PTAL is not required to apply to Sutter Health programs.

Applicants should also review the specific eligibility criteria for the program(s) to which they are applying, as individual programs may have additional requirements.