Our current admission priorities for the Residency are as follows:

• Formal undergraduate degree from an accredited institution preferred (required for a Residency).  A graduate degree from an accredited institution in a related field of study preferred (required for a Residency)

• We require 2 years of active membership in good standing with a faith community.  Formal religious training is recommended.  Applicants in a relationship of accountability are preferred (e.g., ordination, endorsement, and/or commissioning) with a faith community where applicable.

• For healthcare professionals, we encourage an affiliation with a faith community.

A prior unit of ACPE Certified CPE is recommended before applying to a residency.  Students who have prior ACPE Certified CPE units will be required to commit to a full program year.

Yes, our stipend is approximately $55,000, which includes medical, vision, and dental benefits for you and your family.

No, Sutter Health CPMC does not have a housing aid department.  Please make sure you understand the San Francisco Bay Area housing market before applying.

Applicants will be notified within 30 days from the receipt of a completed application.

Sutter Health CPMC has an extensive library from which any student can borrow.  CPE, however, is an immersive learning process. Our objective is to encourage an examination of experiences. Students develop their practice from what emerges between the self and others.

Decisions about clinical assignments are made in consultation with the Certified Educator and Department Manager.  We carefully consider a student’s preferences and learning needs.  We must adhere to the requirements for Chaplain services.

Our program can accommodate three to five students in each cohort. 

The peer cohort is a regular component of the program that provides essential training for relational and cultural competencies.  Cohort groups are supervised in weekly sessions to constructively critique their peers in a context of support, clarification, and challenge.  Cohort Groups are designed to enhance self-awareness, spiritual caregiving, and certified competencies.

You are encouraged to take public transportation.  There are shuttles between the campuses and between the BART stations closest to each campus.  There are parking garages at all campuses.  The garages charge a per-hour rate during weekday administrative hours.  A monthly parking plan is available.

Our Spiritual Care department offers a Chaplain response round the clock, every day of the week for spiritual needs on any of our hospital campuses.  Each day one of our students or staff carries the on-call pager for 24 hours.  They are responsible for ensuring that every request for chaplain services receives a timely response.  We provide a designated rest area during these on-call shifts.  Additional pay is provided for each on-call shift.  A student can expect at least one on-call shift per week.

The curriculum focuses on professional enhancement and aligns with the standard certification competency areas for chaplaincy.  Our program follows the ACPE Manuals and Standards, which we encourage all applicants to review (www.acpe.edu).

Clinical assignments will take place at Sutter Health CPMC campuses: Van Ness, Davies, and Mission Bernal.  Education hours are primarily observed at one campus.