One of the largest and most renowned centers of higher education in the world, the University of California is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research and public service. The University was chartered in 1868 as the state's only Land Grant institution. The UC system as a whole continued to expand, to discover, and to promote and pioneer research in the years that followed. From a mere 10 faculty members and 38 students, UC has grown to nine campuses, over 7,000 faculty members, an enrollment of 165,000 students, and employment of approximately 121,000 faculty, staff and academics statewide.

The University's revenues are generated from the following sources: the State Treasury, local governments, the Federal government, student fees and tuition, the teaching hospitals, endowments, gifts, grants, contracts, and a variety of educational activities.

The nine campuses of the UC System are Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. A tenth campus at Merced is under development. In addition, there are the Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, and the Los Alamos facility. Each campus boasts a unique environment, and a variety of achievements, honors and academic disciplines. For more information regarding the UC campuses, please see the Office of the President website (http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/campus).

UCSF is the only campus devoted solely to graduate and professional study in the health sciences, including Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy and the Graduate Division. Part of the University since 1873, UCSF is a campus known for its scientific discoveries, teaching prowess and patient care. UCSF is a four-hospital campus-Moffitt-Long, San Francisco General Hospital, Veterans Administration Medical Center and Mount Zion.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is responsible for the accreditation of post-MD medical training programs within the United States. Accreditation is accomplished through a peer review process and is based upon established standards and guidelines. The policies and standards in this handbook have been developed to maintain compliance with the institutional and program requirements of ACGME.