Training Sites

Our residents work primarily out of the City Heights Family Health Center, an accredited patient-centered medical home serving one of the most diverse and underserved communities in San Diego. We take care of those who need it most; the income of 91% of our patients is below or near the federal poverty level and 29% are uninsured. Our patients and their families come from all over the world — nearly half (42.4%) of people currently living in City Heights were born outside of the United States. In a sense, it feels like practicing all around the world without leaving the country, taking care of migrants, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, no matter their legal status. In recent years, some of the most represented groups in City Heights include Latinx, Somali, Ethiopian, Congolese, Vietnamese, Haitian, Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian individuals and families, with over 41 languages spoken in our clinic! This global diversity enriches us all.

Additionally, our inpatient rotations are at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest, which functions as a safety net for the city, including many people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders. This experience affords further expertise in caring for the underserved in a variety of settings.

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital is San Diego’s most comprehensive mental health hospital. Patients of all ages are treated here — from children and teens to seniors — and they help build strong foundations to treat anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders and more. Sharp hospitals are not for profit and were awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. Sharp was one of five organizations to receive the award, which is the nation’s highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence. They maintain 159 beds, Inpatient, Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) settings. Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital is the main training ground for the residents’ inpatient experience. Residents will gain training experience at Sharp through their rotation at the Geriatric unit as well as the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Unit. In addition, several opportunities for electives will be offered during the PGY-4 year including PHP. More can be found at www.sharp.com.

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Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas has provided quality clinical and surgical services to San Diego’s North County since 1978. The hospital is best known for its accredited stroke care and offers 24-hour emergency services, OBGYN, maternal health and infant health services, and a regionally recognized brain injury treatment program. With more than 138 beds and a wide range of specialty services, the hospital is designed to meet every patient’s needs. Learn more here: www.scripps.org.

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego

At Scripps Mercy Hospital residents will complete their internal medicine rotation under guidance from this renowned institution. Scripps Mercy is San Diego’s longest established hospital and its two campus locations combine to make it San Diego’s largest hospital. Scripps is ranked as one of nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. They have trained residents since 1940 and are recognized for high performance in 12 specialties. The hospital has 36 inpatient psychiatric beds. Learn more here: www.scripps.org.

Family Health Centers of San Diego

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including primary care clinics, behavioral health facilities, dental clinics, vision clinics, outpatient substance use treatment programs, mobile medical units, mobile counseling centers, physical rehabilitation clinics, urgent care centers and a pharmacy. Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. Also, as a Title X-funded provider of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, FHCSD provides services to over 42,000 unique patients each year.

The primary outpatient site for the psychiatry residency is at the El Cerrito Family Counseling Center, close to City Heights. This building was completed in the summer of 2024 and offers a wide range of services and programs, including trauma-informed mental health care, addiction management, behavioral health, refugee health and asylum-seeker services, child and adolescent mental health, family therapy and care for veterans experiencing mental health challenges.

Outpatient experiences and electives will also take place at FamilyHealth-Youth Counseling Center, Hillcrest Family Health Center on Third Avenue, City Heights Family Health Center, La Mesa Family Counseling Center, Landis Avenue Family Counseling Center and Sweetwater Family Counseling Center.

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El Cerrito Family Counseling Center

El Cerrito Family Counseling Center provides affordable housing and supportive health care services to local families struggling with chronic homelessness. The attached PATH Villas El Cerrito is a 24-million-dollar project that will include 41 supportive housing units, 18 of which are designated for people considered chronically homeless.

Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD)

Located adjacent to Balboa Park on Florida Drive, Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), commonly referred to as «Balboa Hospital,» is the most technologically-advanced medical treatment facility in the Navy. The hospital has played a vital role in the history of San Diego for more than 80 years. From the original tent dispensary established in 1917, to the high-tech, ultra-modern facility of the 1990s, its mission has remained constant to provide the finest medical care in a family-centered environment to the operational forces, their families and to those who served their country in the past.

The Neurology Center of Southern California

Over a quarter century of neurologic care, the Neurology Center is dedicated to providing the highest level of service to patients, their families and the community. Driven by compassion and concern for the dignity of each life affected by a neurological illness, the staff of the Neurology Center remain committed to the concept of teamwork with the physicians and families involved in the care of every patient.

UC San Diego School of Medicine

UC San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health provide a supportive and challenging educational environment where medical residents and fellows of diverse backgrounds can prepare themselves for the next steps in their careers. Faculty members demonstrate the latest developments in patient care, model compassionate and ethical care and provide guidance and supervision to ensure patient health and safety.