Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
The fellowship in Pediatric Surgery focuses on general, abdominal, thoracic, oncologic, and trauma surgery in children and neonates. The program provides exposure to all aspects of pediatric general surgery, including patient evaluation, strategies for developing a therapeutic management plan, technical mastery of complex surgical procedures and perioperative care of the patient. A graduate will be positioned to manage the full spectrum of general pediatric surgical conditions and will be prepared to navigate any type of practice.
Fellows are responsible for the ongoing care of hospitalized patients, for evaluating patients in the emergency department and in the clinic, and for attending to patients in the operating room with attending faculty supervising all clinical care. The didactic program involves a weekly rotating conference schedule consisting of core lectures, case conferences, journal clubs, quality improvement, surgical grand rounds, trauma case conference, critical care, radiology, pathology, and interdisciplinary group meetings to be facilitated by the fellow and proctored by one or more expert faculty members.
A research project is required during the fellowship period.
Surgery Experience
The fellows will be exposed to the full complement of procedures performed by pediatric general surgeons:
- Surgery for infants with congenital anomalies of the chest and abdomen, including but not limited to pulmonary malformations, diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresias, enterocolitis, Hirschprung disease, abdominal wall defects, aerodigestive tract anomalies and feeding difficulties
- Emergency pediatric surgical evaluation, operation, and postoperative care
- Hepatobiliary surgery for infants and children including but not limited to: biliary atresia, choledochal disease, gallbladder disease, hepatic resection
- Vascular access including ECMO cannulation
- Pediatric oncologic surgery
- Routine outpatient surgery i.e., hernia, abscess, soft-tissue tumors, ovarian pathology, enteral access
- Esophagoscopy and bronchoscopy
- Trauma evaluation, critical care, and surgery
- Pediatric and neonatal intensive care rotations
- Potential for subspecialty elective time
Responsibilities
- Daily care of surgical patients in conjunction with a team of faculty, residents, nurses and physician assistants
- Clinic: at least ½ day a week
- Monthly multidisciplinary meetings, including surgery/pathology/radiology conference and surgery/gastroenterology conference
- Weekly core and case conference didactics
- Research: 1 project
- Resident Supervision: Yes
- Call Responsibilities: 1 in 4 alternating among 2 Pediatric Surgery fellows, a Critical Care fellow and a research fellow
Application/Requirements/Salary & Benefits
- Application deadline: Dec 1st, 2 years PRIOR to the year of matriculation ie about 20 months prior to the Aug. 1 start date (done via ERAS/NRMP application website)
- Fellowship duration: 2 years
- Number of fellows per year: 1 each year
- University affiliation: UC San Diego School of Medicine
- Licensing requirement: California Medical License, board eligible in general surgery
- Benefits: Medical, dental, and liability insurance, hospital dues, meeting travel stipend, book stipend, 2 specialty-specific courses sponsored per fellowship, fellowship boot camp before fellowship commencement, meal stipend
- Salary: Commensurate for UCSD PGY-6 level
Contact Us
- Co-Director: Karen Kling, M.D.
Email: kkling@rchsd.org
- Co-Director: Timothy Fairbanks, M.D.
Email: tfairbanks@rchsd.org
3020 Children’s Way, Mail Code 5136
San Diego, CA 92123
Phone: 858-966-7714 - Administrative Contact: Janelle Lagler
Phone: 858-576-1700, ext. 224292
Email: Nlagler@rchsd.org
Alumni Past and Present
Dr. Katherine Davenport, MD 2012-2015 Assoc. Professor and Director of Pediatric Trauma Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters
Dr. Bhargava Mullapudi, MD 2016-2018 Assoc. Professor and Director of Pediatric Transplantation University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
Dr. Benjamin Keller, MD 2018-2020 Asst. Professor and Program Director Pediatric Surgical Critical Care, Rady Children’s Hospital/UCSD
Dr. Jonathan Halbach, DO LCDR 2019-2021- Chief, Naval Hospital, Edward Herbert School of Medicine, USHS, Portsmouth, VA
Dr. Shunpei Okochi, MD 2020-2022 Asst. Professor, Mount Sinai Hospital Health and Director of ECMO and Pediatric Surgical Critical Care
Dr. Amanda Harrington, MD MPH 2021-2023 Asst. Professor, John Hopkins All Children’s, Tampa Florida
Dr. Timothy Tirrell, MD PhD 2022-2024, Asst. Professor, Stanford Pediatric General Surgery
Dr. Keon Young Park, MD PhD 2023-2025 Current 2nd-year fellow
Dr. Megan Birkhold, MD RD 2024-2026 Current 1st-year fellow