Trainee Perks, Benefits, and Travel

Trainee Perks

San Diego, known as “America’s Finest City” is world renowned for its beautiful beaches and year-round temperate climate. The University and division both provide many benefits for UCSD trainees to make life in San Diego even more enjoyable. Please see below for a summary of benefits for trainees. For more information, please visit the Graduate Medical Education (GME) website.

Salary

• Current annual salary for the 2024-2025 academic year is $86,819 for PGY-1. More information can be found here.

Medical, Dental, and Retirement Benefits

• UCSD covers all of the cost of medical, dental, vision and other insurance premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• In lieu of Social Security, a total of 7.5% of pre-tax pay is directed to the University of California’s Defined-Contribution Plan.
• UCSD trainees are eligible to participate in voluntary 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

Stipends and Reimbursements

• An annual education stipend of $750 is provided.
• An annual housing stipend of $1000 is provided.
• A Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) license and number are provided free-of-charge.
• The full cost of a state of California medical license is paid by the GME office. Renewal fees are also covered.
• A monthly on-call meal allowance of $200 is provided.

Travel

• Travel expenses to conferences at which trainees have had submissions accepted will be covered by the division

Vacation

• A total of four weeks of vacation is provided.

Simulation Center

• Access to the Center for the Future of Surgery simulation center.

CT Surgery Trainee Benefits

• Travel and registration for the InterMountain Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Core Curriculum board review course is paid by the division.
• Travel and registration for a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship bootcamp (typically at UCLA).
• Access to the Self-Education, Self-Assessment in Thoracic Surgery (SESATS) XIII program, for board examination prep.