Join us at SMA to staff Scripps Mercy Hospital’s psychiatry program as we transition to the health system's first hospitalist coverage model for psychiatry. We're hiring for in-person and home call psychiatrists who are passionate about underserved care. Enjoy a balanced career at a health system that supports psychiatry like no other in San Diego. Open roles include inpatient adult psychiatrists and consultation-liaison psychiatrists for in-person daytime coverage, plus psychiatrists to cover overnight call from home.
Scripps is America's top-ranked health system to work for (Fortune, 2026), with physician satisfaction written directly into its vision statement, and it leads San Diego in workplace violence prevention. Scripps Mercy Hospital is San Diego's longest-established hospital and one of only two adult Level I trauma centers in the County, providing safety-net care to vulnerable populations, set in one of the city's most walkable and vibrant neighborhoods.
SMA Psychiatry is a local multi-specialty medical group dedicated to caring for complex, underserved populations, known for great job satisfaction across nearly every level of behavioral healthcare in San Diego.
Roles
We're transitioning from an independent practitioner model to one of close integration between a team of psychiatrists and the rest of the health system — creating a real opportunity for work-life balance within an inpatient psychiatry career. You'll join a team backed by a high level of ancillary staff support, in a hospital where other departments and leadership are, in their own words, "excited for collaboration with psychiatry." The current roles are designed to include time for significant interdisciplinary collaboration aiming at long term patient success.
Inpatient Unit
Two psychiatrists each manage up to 15–16 follow-up visits and 1 admission over a 10-hour day, with support from a consultation-liaison psychiatrist on busier days, and interdisciplinary team meetings 3 times weekly. No overnight call !
Consultation-Liaison Service
This service focuses on an integrated partnership of psychiatric care to support the mission of the 395 bed medical-surgical units and 51 bed emergency department. The psychiatrists’ efforts are aided by a genuinely exceptional & engaged Psychiatric Liaison Team of clinicians. The service is shared by two psychiatrists working 8-hour days and one working a 10-hour day, each managing roughly 2–3 new patients and 5–7 follow-ups along with meaningful interdisciplinary engagement. The psychiatrist on the 10-hour CL day has their two additional hours built in to help absorb surges on both the CL service and the inpatient unit. No overnight call!
Overnight call
This coverage runs 5 p.m.–7 a.m from home. This standalone role supports the inpatient unit, as well as the ER and medical-surgical units in partnership with our excellent PLTs. This role is performed from home via secure messaging, phone, and remote EMR access for psych unit admissions, needs of existing patients and to share brief curbside thoughts. There is no tele-psychiatry component to this role.
Requirements
ABPN Board Certified in Psychiatry, active unrestricted California medical license in hand at time of application, Medicare & Medi-Cal eligibility.
Schedule
We are hiring for full time, part time and weekend psychiatrists. A 7 on 7 off schedule is optional. Daytime roles are in-person, onsite to deliver care and interdisciplinary collaboration * the entire shift *
Apply now for a late October 2026 start date.
Compensation
- In-person daytime roles: $240/hr as an independent contractor, or $396,000/year as an employed full-time psychiatrist with excellent benefits and PTO.
- Overnight call from home: $650/ shift
- +20% daily compensation for all roles while caring for our team’s patients on holidays
- Share in the annual group performance bonus
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible
- Malpractice, including tail coverage, provided
- Additional compensation to help with surges in consult volumes and court appearances for psychiatric holds
Pay: $395,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Loan forgiveness
- Loan repayment program
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
License/Certification:
- ABPN Psychiatry Board Certification (Required)
- California Medical License, Unrestricted & In-Hand today (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
