Sutter Health - Bay Area logo
Sutter Health - Bay Area
Santa Cruz, California

Physician, Internal Medicine (Santa Cruz, CA)

Internal MedicineFull-Time

Listed compensation

$280K - $335K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Opportunity Information

  • Team-based care approach with NPs and PAs to support physicians
  • Virtual in-basket support team
  • Collaborative relationships with specialists across the organization

Robust Onboarding and Mentorship Program

Flexibility in schedule - 4 days a week for full time, part-time opportunities available, flexible patient visit duration

Remote Video Visits from Home Available

Abundant leadership and committee work opportunities, with active promotion of quality improvement projects

Physician-led inclusive organization, emphasizing collaboration, mentorship, clinician / staff well-being, and innovation

Qualifications

Board Certified or Board Eligible in Internal Medicine

Join Us and Enjoy

  • Starting salary $280,000 - $335,000 (based on experience)
  • $200,000 forgivable loan
  • Generous sign-on bonus
  • Residency stipend ($1,000/month for 12 months before start date)
  • Relocation allowance
  • Guaranteed salary for two years with incentive production bonus
  • Generous benefits package
  • Shareholder eligibility after two years
  • PSLF eligible
  • 401K, cash-balance retirement plan, HSA

Organization Details

Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group

We are one of the largest multi-specialty medical groups in the country, made up of over 2,100 physicians in 40+ specialties, in practices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our organization is nationally recognized for our excellence with multiple awards for quality of care, innovation and leadership.

Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group is affiliated with Palo Alto Medical Foundation, a not-for-profit health care organization, providing operational and administrative support, including the latest technology, allowing physicians to focus on delivering exceptional patient care.

Community Information

Situated on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay about 70 miles south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz offers a moderate climate and the best of many worlds. For outdoor enthusiasts, Santa Cruz is a wonderful combination of beach, ocean and mountains.

Well known as a Mecca for surfers, Santa Cruz also offers magnificent redwoods for hiking and mountain-biking and the San Lorenzo River for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Long stretches of tree-lined and coastal roads offer the perfect venues for road cyclists.

Fisherman and sailors will appreciate convenient access to the ocean from the Santa Cruz Harbor and the Municipal Wharf, which also features a variety of shops and restaurants.

Santa Cruz's downtown center, the Pacific Garden Mall, is home to the Museum of Art and History and features outstanding restaurants, unique shops, wine tasting rooms, sidewalk cafes, and an abundance of coffee shops.

Santa Cruz is also a cultural hub, featuring several live performance venues, the annual Open Studios tour, boutique art stores and the Tannery Arts Center.

Adding to the character of the community, the University of California is nestled in foothills above Santa Cruz, and the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk was named Best Boardwalk in the country by USA Today.

Santa Cruz County is also an agriculture center, known for its production of strawberries, raspberries, artichokes and Brussels sprouts.

Equal Opportunity Statement

  • It is the policy of the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG) to provide equal employment for all qualified individuals; to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, creed, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, national origin, age, medical condition, disability or status as a veteran or a disabled veteran. We promote the full realization of equal employment opportunities through a positive continuing program within our service area. Equal employment opportunities apply to every aspect of PAFMG's employment policies and practices.

Key Responsibilities

The physician will work in a team-based care approach with NPs and PAs, providing support to physicians. They will also engage in leadership and committee work, promoting quality improvement projects.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Specialist Relationships

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physician, Internal Medicine (Santa Cruz, CA) at Sutter Health - Bay Area a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Internal Medicine — ranked against 1,290 active Internal Medicine listings on WeekdayDoc.

Internal Medicine — Physician Career Context

Sutter Health - Bay Area ranks #9 of 28 employers hiring Internist on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Internal Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 12% are remote, 34% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Internal Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$308k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $278k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Internist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 35 employers

15
<$340k
16
$340k-360k
8
$360k-380k
6
$380k-400k
5
$400k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks42 jobs · 35 employers

401k / retirement match
86% this job
Sign-on bonus
67% this job
CME allowance
57%
Relocation assistance
50% this job
Loan repayment
36% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physician

MedCap Health · Richmond, Virginia

$250k-$500k
#2

Long Term Care Doctor - Post-Acute Care PhysicianContract

MedCap Health · Fremont, Michigan

$250k-$500k
#3

Primary Care Physician w/ Managed Care exp (Open comp.)

$420k
#4

Primary Care Physician- Arvada

$300k-$400k
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Internal Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,290 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Santa Cruz

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.44M≈ 5.1× annual pay
Typical market rent
$3,532/mo≈ 15% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
109.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Sutter Health - Bay Area logo

About Sutter Health - Bay Area

Hospitals and Health Care
Palo Alto, CA
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Team-based care with NPs and PAs
Virtual in-basket support
Robust onboarding and mentorship
Flexible schedule - 4 days a week
Remote video visits from home
Leadership and committee opportunities
$200,000 forgivable loan
Generous sign-on bonus