Applying and Interviewing

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Thank you for your interest in our program. We will accept applications through ERAS for the 2026-2027 Match season starting September 23rd . All support documentation must be submitted through ERAS (no faxes, mail, or emails will be accepted).

Although we will accept applications thru October 24th, 2026, please note that due to the large number of qualified applicants who apply to our program, all of our interview slots are likely to be filled well before then, so you are encouraged to submit your application as close to September 23 as possible.

Our NRMP Program Code (for the Match) is 2071120C0.

Applying

We encourage applicants to share in their personal statement their commitment to under-resourced communities, interest in our unique curriculum, and personal experience with distance traveled.

Minimum Criteria:

Must have graduated from medical school or medical residency within one and a half (1.5) years of applying (January 1, 2025).
Cannot have had two or more failures total when taking Step 1 or Step 2 exams (USMLE or COMLEX), e.g. two failures in Step 1 is disqualifying; a failure in Step 1 and then a failure in Step 2 is disqualifying.
Must have passed USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX 1 for application review.
Must have passed USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX 2 prior to ranking (by end of February).
Must have a minimum of 3 Letters of Recommendation.
Must be responsible for application completeness in ERAS.
Must be responsible for all other requirements and documentation as specified by ERAS (transcripts, personal statement etc.).
IMG Applicants:
- We interview few IMG applicants, usually only from internationally-ranked medical schools on a case-by-base basis.
- Must be already ECFMG-certified or on track to be ECFMG-certified by the start of the next academic year (passed Step 1, enrolled in an ECFMG Pathway, and graduating from medical school by this coming May).
- Must have completed at least one US clerkship (multiple US clerkships is greatly preferred)
- Must have at least one Letter of Recommendation from a US clerkship (multiple such letters is greatly preferred)
Our residency program is excited to learn more about you, your values, and your past experiences, hearing your authentic voice. As such, we request that you do not use artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, in creating your personal statement and "Impactful Experience" essay. Similarly, we hope to read in your letters of recommendation the authentic statements of the letter writers, so we recommend that you ask your letter writers not to use AI. If we deem that an applicant's personal statement, "Impactful Experience" essay or letter of recommendation was written with the help of AI, it will be ignored, which will harm the applicant's score. We will notify an applicant whose application is marked as containing AI content, so that the applicant can appeal the assessment.

Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor any types of Visas.

Interviewing

Virtual Interviews: All of our interviews are conducted virtually (using Zoom), in order that all applicants invited to interview have an equal opportunity to interview, regardless of distance or ability to travel to our site.

Our interview philosophy: We invite only those applicants whom we feel would fit within our unique program and thrive here, so our primary goal in the interview day is to impart the information that will allow the interviewee to determine whether our program will meet their training desires and career plans (and to demonstrate what a great group of people we are!).

Interview Dates: The following are the dates for our interviews for the 2026-2027 Match season:

October 13
October 20
October 27
November 3
November 10
November 17
December 1

Interview Day Schedule (tentative. All times are in Pacific Standard Time)

10:30 a.m. Introductions
10:55 a.m. First Presentation + Question and Answer session
11:30 a.m. Break
11:35 a.m. Fun time
11:50 a.m. Second Presentation + Question and Answer session
12:20 p.m. Break (interviewees' cameras and microphones can be off)
1:00 p.m. Introduction to the Afternoon
1:20 p.m. Interview #1
1:50 p.m. Break
2:00 p.m. Interview #2
2:30 p.m. Survey
2:35 p.m. Farewell

During the Question and Answer sessions, interviewees will be able to ask questions anonymously.

In-person Second Look: Our program will be hosting an in-person, 2nd look on January 12 (tentative date), when interviewees will have the opportunity to visit us, get a tour of the hospital and one of our clinic sites, meet some faculty and residents, and learn more about our program. Participating in the 2nd look (or not participating) will have NO impact on your application.

As part of this day, we will invite a group of interviewees to participate in Diversity Sessions that are tailored to those who self-identify as coming from a historically marginalized community. We will host panels to create safe spaces where residents and faculty who also self-identify as being from a historically marginalized community can share more about their experiences at Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency.

In-person "Tour Dates": We also hope to offer up to four opportunities to visit the hospital and our Martinez Family Medicine Clinic. These dates are still to be determined (in the 2025-2026 season, they were on December 23, January 20, February 3, and February 13, but the pattern could change significantly this cycle).

These events will be from noon to 1:00pm (though applicants should definitely arrive earlier to find parking and get to the meeting point, to be designated later). They are not be as extensive as the "Second Look" mentioned above. A resident will lead the tour, and applicants will have a further opportunity to ask questions over lunch with residents.

If you wish to visit in person, you are strongly encouraged to make one of these opportunities work (the Open House or one of the other shorter visits), as we will not be offering additional dates.

Joining us on any of these dates will not influence your application status. These opportunities are COMPLETELY optional and totally disconnected from the remainder of the process. They will not affect rankings whatsoever. They are for the benefit of applicants only.