About the Fellowship
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in affiliation with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, offers a two-year Clinical Chemistry Fellowship. The program provides training in all areas of the field, ensuring the acquisition of skills, knowledge and experience required to successfully lead and direct a clinical chemistry laboratory. The fellowship offers comprehensive training in all fundamental laboratory aspects of diagnostic medicine, clinical consultation related to clinical chemistry, translational research, quality management, and laboratory management and administration.
Learn More About the Training Program
Bench rotations, clinical rounds, didactic lectures, grand rounds and conferences enhance a fellow’s training. Research opportunities specific to clinical and translational studies in all specialty areas are also available. Collaborative laboratory and clinical chemistry training is held at CHLA and Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, giving fellows extensive and diverse experiences in both pediatric and adult patient populations.
The first year is heavily devoted to the fundamental laboratory aspects of clinical chemistry, accounting for approximately 70% of the training. Fellows are trained at the bench by clinical laboratory scientists, supervisors, and the manager and section director in such a manner that they become technically proficient in laboratory procedures offered in each section of the core laboratory. The first year is mostly spent training on the bench, with some time spent preparing presentations for laboratory rounds, case follow-ups and consultations with clinicians. The remainder of the training entails research projects, laboratory medicine section rotations, and formal course and seminar attendance.
The State of California requires individuals holding doctoral degrees to be licensed before they can be employed in a laboratory to perform diagnostic tests, i.e. assume a position directing a laboratory. This training schedule allows fellows to complete a year-long accredited program and become eligible for the State of California limited license in Clinical Chemistry.
The second year is more focused on research, clinical rotations and on-call service.
Funding
Fellows are paid a competitive annual stipend. Health benefits are also provided.
How to Apply
CHLA offers one position every two years starting July 1, 2020. Applicants must have a PhD in biochemistry, analytical chemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology or a related biomedical science, or an MD/DO with preferably 1-3 years of postdoctoral experience in a research laboratory, all ideally within five years of enrollment in the program. Applicants must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of 30 semester hours (U.S. equivalent) in undergraduate and/or graduate level chemistry or biochemistry courses prior to admission into the fellowship program to meet certification eligibility requirements by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or hold a valid immigration visa that permits employment for a minimum of two years.
In addition, the State of California requires that all foreign-educated, doctoral-level scientists (MDs and PhDs) have all transcripts authenticated by current members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) before a training license will be issued. For a list of current members, please visit the NACES website at http://www.naces.org/members.html. We recommend authentication through International Education Research Foundation ( www.ierf.org), Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org), or Josef Silny & Associates Inc. International Education Consultants (www.jsilny.com), all of which are NACES members recognized by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry.
Starting in 2019, applications are accepted every other year from July 1 to September 1”. Applicants will be notified by October 15 whether they have been selected to interview for a fellowship position in the following year. CHLA does not offer reimbursements for travel to Los Angeles for the interview.
In addition to the online application form, all applicants must provide:
- CV: Please include your complete address, including email for future correspondence. Citizenship status should also be indicated. If not a U.S. citizen, please specify visa status.
- Personal statement
- Transcripts: The State of California requires that all non-U.S. credentials are authenticated prior to being issued a training license. We recommend authentication through NACES members recognized by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (see recommendations above).
- Three letters of recommendation
To submit the full application, click here. All required documents other than letters of recommendations must be compiled into one single PDF document prior to upload. Please email three letters of recommendation to ldiaz@chla.usc.edu. All documents must be submitted by the application deadline.