General FAQs

Saint Agnes Medical Center is accredited as a sponsoring institution. All programs are accredited by the ACGME.

Programs will officially begin the first week of July, but resident onboarding takes place the last week of June. You will be paid during onboarding.

Application materials must be submitted through ERAS - NO EXCEPTIONS. We do not accept walk-ins, faxes, telephone, mail or email applications or status inquiries. For deadlines and more details, visit the ERAS website.

Generally, the following items are required to be submitted online to ERAS before your application can be reviewed (DO NOT SUBMIT an incomplete package):

• Completed ERAS application form
• Dean's letter from your school
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
  • A letter from one of these members of your Institution's Department of Medicine: Specialty Chair, Clerkship Director, or Program Director
  • Two (2) letters from other Departmental faculty members
• A personal statement
• Medical school transcript
• COMLEX or USMLE Transcript
• NRMP number
• Status Letter (PTAL) from Medical Board of California, if applicable.

Graduate Medical Education Programs (currently Internal Medicine and Family Medicine) will not accept application, or provide status updates by telephone, email, fax or walk-ins. All contact must be through ERAS (no exceptions). Only those applicants who are invited to interview will be contacts. Only complete applications will be considered.

Saint Agnes has a very competitive residency program and recognizes that outstanding physicians come from all over the world. Therefore, we do accept international graduates. We will review completed applications and are looking for well-trained and highly qualified individuals. There is no specific minimum score requirement for USMLE scores, but international medical graduates who have been offered interviews in recent years have typically had very competitive board scores. Please consider:

• Requirements for completion of the application include Standard Documentation.
• In addition, International Graduates will require: "Postgraduate training authorization" letter (PTAL) from the Medical Board of California (MBC) dated within the past year, indicating acceptance of their medical education in meeting MBC requirements and eligibility to commence postgraduate training in California, should a position be offered. (no exceptions)
• ECFMG Standard Certificate with valid date
• Scores for examinations used to qualify for the ECFMG Certificate.
• All applicants must possess a valid work permit prior to the date the rank order list is submitted to the matching program (or prior to a position being offered). This includes United States citizenship, permanent residency, or eligibility for a J-1 visa sponsored by ECFMG. Saint Agnes Medical Center does not sponsor residents with H1-B visas. 

Yes. The Medical Center was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1929. Their faithful commitment to meeting the Central Valley's health care needs through the delivery of high quality, compassionate care remains the hallmark of Saint Agnes' healing ministry, as evidenced by the actions and attitudes of our colleagues and medical staff. Our approach to healing is holistic – body, mind and spirit – calling us to not only meet the physical, but also the emotional and spiritual needs of those we serve.

Evidence of our faith-based traditions exist throughout the hospital and are embedded in every aspect of our culture – from the statue of Christ the Healer at the hospital's front entrance and the daily prayers shared overhead, to the regular visits by our chaplains and the beautiful Saint John's Bibles prominently displayed in the lobby. But more than what you will observe, you will feel the compassion with which our attendings, nurses and support staff, care for each and every patient.

Not at all. Saint Agnes Medical Center wholeheartedly accepts residents and staff from all backgrounds and religious beliefs making it a very comfortable work environment.

Saint Agnes Medical Center will help you develop the clinical and interpersonal skills to care for every aspect of your patient's health: body, mind and spirit. These invaluable skills can be used with every patient, in every situation for the rest of your career. Additionally, the organization's mission, vision and core values create a strong, supportive and healthy work environment in which all members of the health care team can grow and thrive.