How to Apply to Our Program

Mission and Values

The mission of our residency mirrors the mission of Sutter Health, “We enhance the well-being of people in the communities we serve through a not-for-profit commitment to compassion and excellence in healthcare services.”

It is important to the residency that conduct by residents mirror the mission and values of Sutter Health when working as well as outside of work. We are looking for applicants that are outstanding clinically but represent the core values of the residency and the institution at all times as it serves its community.

Application Process

Applications for Sutter Memorial Medical Center Modesto Family 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.

Qualified candidates meet the following criteria:

1. Completed ERAS application
2. 4 letters of recommendation with one being a Letter from the Department Chair
3. USMLE STEP 1 and STEP 2 = PASS or COMLEX1 and COMLEX 2= PASS
4. Dean’s letter
5. Medical school transcript
6. Personal Statement
7. Graduated Medical School within the last three years

Interviews

All residency interviews will be conducted virtually via Thalamus. The interview season will commence on October 8, 2025, and conclude on January 21, 2026. Interviews will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays. Interview invitations will be extended by October 31, 2025, except for possible openings due to applicant rescheduling or canceling. We will interview approximately 215 applicants to fill our 13 PGY1 positions.

A standardized interview process has been created to minimize bias. The interview day will begin with a 25-minute program introduction presented by Dr. Payanes, the Program Director. Following the introduction, each applicant will participate in three 15-minute interviews with the Program Director and various faculty.

In February, our program will host an optional in-person hospital tour and social event. Participation in this event is entirely voluntary and will not influence our rank order list, which will be finalized prior to the event to minimize any potential bias and alleviate pressure on applicants.

The Memorial Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program is committed to recruiting, selecting, and retaining trainees from diverse backgrounds. All Family Medicine faculty will complete online education on implicit bias as part of the yearly compliance requirements and as per California law. The faculty interviewers will also be required to read Association of American Medical Colleges’ “Best Practices for Conducting Residency Interviews” (AAMC) and National Residency Match Program’s “Code of Conduct for Programs” (NRMP). Faculty will have a meeting prior to interview season beginning in which they will agree on the desired characteristics of the candidates to align with the mission and aims of Sutter Health. This meeting will help prepare standardized interview questions intended to seek out those characteristics. Medical student applicant photos as well as other information (preferred pronouns, names, etc.) will be blinded to the faculty interviewers for the purposes of removing implicit bias when reviewing ERAS files to determine which applicants to interview. All interview participants will be made aware of the concept of Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM), as defined by the AAMC, and its importance in Graduate Medical Education. In addition, the Program Director will meet with those conducting recruitment interviews and lead discussions on recognizing potential unconscious biases and providing solutions to mitigate and overcome them.

International Applicants

Effective January 1, 2020, the Medical Board of California will no longer issue Postgraduate Training Authorization Letters (PTAL) to International Medical School Graduates. Therefore, it is not a requirement to apply to our program. To qualify, the medical school needs to be recognized by the Medical Board of California.

At this time, we do not sponsor J1, H1B, or other types of visas.

Have Questions?

For further information regarding our program, please contact Tracie Hannink at SMMC.FM.Residency@sutterhealth.org