Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How are the Emergency Departments at UCSF Medical Center and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) affiliated with each other?
    Faculty members at both institutions have UCSF academic appointments under the Department of Emergency Medicine. UCSF is the hospital located on the UCSF Parnassus campus, while ZSFG is the Level 1 Trauma Center county facility located in the Mission District. Much like our EM residents rotating at both EDs, some of our faculty work clinically at both sites. 
  2. How can I afford to live in San Francisco on a resident's salary?!
    Living in a major metropolitan area like San Francisco is definitely doable on a resident salary. To help defray the housing costs in San Francisco, UCSF provides a monthly housing allowance of $1,008.33 (taxable).
  3. Who rotates through the UCSF Medical Center Emergency Department?
    The UCSF Emergency Department is a popular rotation. UCSF medical students as well as residents from UCSF Medicine, UCSF Neurology, and Highland EM all help manage the critically ill and complex patient population at UCSF.
  4. Who rotates through the ZSFG Emergency Department?
    Similar to the UCSF Emergency Department, the ZSFG Emergency Department is also a popular rotation. In addition to medical students (ranging from MS1s-MS4s doing sub-internships and shadowing faculty members), residents from UCSF Anesthesia, Surgery, Family Medicine, Medicine, Neurology and Psychiatry work alongside Internal Medicine residents from Kaiser, St. Mary's Medical Center, and California Pacific Medical Center.
  5. Are you affiliated with the UCSF-Fresno Emergency Medicine program?
    Yes, we are. The UCSF-Fresno EM residency program is our "sister program" in the Northern California area. The faculty at UCSF-Fresno are an integral part of the UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine. Although our EM residents will not be rotating at their facility, please visit their residency website for more information.
  6. Do I need to pass the USMLE Boards Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS (or NBOME equivalents) before I apply for a residency position? 
    No, we require USMLE Boards Step 1 (or NBOME equivalent) scores in order to review your application. However, before we can place you on our final rank list, you must pass all of these exams.