Welcome to the UCSF Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship

Duration: 1 year (August 1 to July 31)

Fellowship Positions: 1 (POSNA accredited)

Application Deadline: November 1, 2024 through SF Match 

Combined Salary & Housing Allowance (AY2024-25): $107,701.00 plus benefits

Interview Date: Friday, February 14, 2025. 

The Pediatrics Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship program is accredited by POSNA and participates in the San Francisco Match (SF Match). Prior to the start of fellowship, successful completion of an orthopaedic surgery residency is required, as is a California State Medical License. 

We are unable to accept international medical graduates who require visa sponsorship and who are not eligible for an unrestricted medical license to practice in California.

All application requirements are listed on the POSNA website: https://posna.org/Resources/Fellowships

For any additional questions about our fellowship program please contact our fellowship coordinator Brad Stark at brad.stark@ucsf.edu.

Fellowship Introduction

The UCSF Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship is designed to provide the fellow with a comprehensive and well-rounded training in all aspects of pediatric orthopaedics. Our mission is to train fellows to be clinically and technically competent and well-prepared for providing outstanding care to all pediatric patients. This fellowship is based on an adult-learning model and offers an in-depth experience in all subspecialty areas of pediatric orthopaedic surgery with a spectrum of complexity, including pediatric trauma, spinal deformity, pediatric sports, hip and limb deformity.

Primary training sites include UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland which is a level 1 pediatric trauma center, and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Both sites being major referral centers for Central and Northern California.

In the second half of the training period, fellows have the option to pursue a 4 week overseas elective in Global Orthopaedics. If interested, they can also pursue a clinical elective at the UC Davis/Northern California Shriner’s Hospital for Children for additional experience in the Motion Analysis Laboratory and pediatric hand surgery. In addition to exceptional clinical training, fellows are given access to UCSF’s rich research infrastructure, teach our medical students and residents, and participate in UCSF’s extensive global health initiatives

Fellowship Experience

Extensive clinical and academic opportunities exist at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. UCSF is one of the busiest hospital systems in the region, and it is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation by US News & World Report. The pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship provides a well-rounded experience for fellows, and prepares them for an academic career or private practice. Our mission is to train fellows to be compassionate and competent pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, provide mentorship, and promote progressive independence. 

Fellows are exposed to all subspecialty areas of pediatric orthopaedic surgery, and they are encouraged to pursue interests in specific subspecialty areas during the second half of the training period. The clinical experience includes rotations at the Oakland and Mission Bay campuses, independent clinics, as well as a fully-funded, clinical elective.The first six months of the fellowship provides structured, mentorship experiences in the core subspecialties of pediatric orthopaedic surgery (spine, limb deformity, sports medicine, foot and ankle, pediatric hip, and neuromuscular conditions). The second six months provides graduated responsibility and elective experiences based on the fellow's interest and goals. Pediatric trauma will be available throughout the fellowship year to prepare the fellow for clinical practice. 

Opportunities also exist to travel abroad and experience various aspects of global health through faculty-developed rotations and affiliations with Institute of Global Health and Traumatology. Unique aspects of this fellowship include advanced training in complex pediatric spine, trauma, limb deformity, and hip preservation.

The faculty of the UCSF Pediatric Orthopaedics service see more than 45,000 outpatients and perform more than 1,700 operative procedures annually, encompassing a balance of simple and complex cases.

Research

There are several opportunities for clinical, basic science, and biomechanics research at UCSF. Opportunities exist for clinical research through various study groups, ongoing projects, databases, and an extensive research infrastructure and mentorship is available. Basic science, biomechanics labs and 3D printing are also available and well-supported by the department. Based on original research, all fellows are required to prepare at least one manuscript for publication and present their work at a scientific meeting. Fellows are also provided with educational funds to attend and present at national meetings and conferences.  

Didactics

Wednesdays: UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds

Held weekly (September through June) with invited Guest speakers discussing general orthopaedic topics including pediatrics.

Thursdays: Indications and Fellows Case Conference

Joint conference between Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland and San Francisco to review postoperative cases from the prior week and plan complicated cases for the upcoming week. There will also be a monthly case conference for fellows to focus on complex cases from each subspecialty area in pediatric orthopaedics.

Fridays: Didactic and Journal Club

Didactic sessions focusing on common pediatric orthopaedic topics. The fellow will actively participate, present and lead discussions at these conferences.

Other Conferences

The fellow will also be encouraged and provided with funds to attend IPOS and POSNA during their fellowship year.

There will also be funded opportunities to present original research at national meetings.

Video Guides

UCSF Faculty

	Sanjeev Sabharwal, MD, MPH (Professor, Fellowship Director)  Residency: University of British Columbia, Vancouver Fellowship: Shriner’s (UCLA) and Children’s Hospital (USC) Clinical Expertise: Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction
	Ishaan Swarup, MD (Assistant Professor, Associate Fellowship Director)  Residency: Hospital for Special Surgery Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Clinical Expertise: Spinal Deformity and Hip Preservation
	Michael Chau, MD PhD (Assistant Professor) Residency: University of Minnesota (orthopaedic residency) Fellowship:  University of Texas Southwestern/Scottish Rite for Children (pediatric orthopaedic surgery) orthopaedic sports medicine surgery (Cedar Sinai/Kerlan Jobe Institute) Clinical Expertise: Dr, Chau is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the surgical and non-surgical management of sports-related injuries and conditions affecting the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee in young athletes
	Celina DeBorja, MD (Assistant Professor) Residency: Hackensack Meridian Health at Jersey Shore University Medical Center  Fellowship: Children’s Hospital Boston (Harvard University) Clinical Expertise: Sports and Dance Medicine, Bone Health, Injury Prevention, and Pediatric Fractures
	Eliana Delgado, MD (Professor) Residency: UCSF Fellowship: St. Louis Shriner’s Hospital  Clinical Expertise: General Pediatric Orthopaedics
	Mohammad Diab, MD (Professor) Residency: University of Washington Fellowship: Children’s Hospital Boston (Harvard University) Clinical Expertise: Spinal Deformity and Hip Preservation
	Jaclyn Hill, MD (Associate Professor) Residency: Orthopedic Surgery Residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School Clinical Expertise: Dr. Hill is a pediatric orthoaedic surgeon with a specialty in pediatric Limb lengthening, complex reconstruction and clubfoot.
	Jason Jagodzinski, MD (Assistant Professor) Residency: University of Wisconsin Fellowship: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Atlanta Scottish Rite Hospital Clinical Expertise: Pediatric Sports Medicine and Trauma
	Donald Kephart, MD (Assistant Professor) Residency: UC Davis Medical Center Fellowship: Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Clinical Expertise: Orthopaedic surgeon, treating the musculoskeletal manifestations of neuromuscular diseases, pediatric fractures and infections, as well as general pediatric orthopaedic conditions.
	Nirav Pandya, MD (Chief of Pediatrics Orthopaedic Surgery, Vice-Chair of Pediatric Clinical Operations) Residency: University of Pennsylvania Fellowship: UCSD/Rady Children’s Hospital Clinical Expertise: Pediatric Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy
	Faustine Ramirez, MD (Assistant Professor) Residency: UCSF Fellowship:Stanford University Clinical Expertise: Primary care sports medicine doctor who cares for children and young adults with a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions
	Coleen S. Sabatini, MD, MPH (Associate Professor) Residency: Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program Fellowship: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Clinical Expertise: Clubfoot/Pediatric Foot Deformities, Trauma, Global Health
	Rhonda Watkins, MD, MPH (Assistant Professor) Residency: University of California San Francisco Fresno Fellowship: Harvard Medical School at Boston Children’s Hospital Clinical Expertise: Primary care sports medicine doctor who cares for children and young adults with a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions

Thank you for your interest in our UCSF Pediatric Orthopaedics Fellowship Program. Please contact any of us or program coordinator Brad Stark brad.stark@ucsf.edu for more information about our program.