Pediatric Pathology Fellowship

About the Fellowship

Our ACGME-accredited training program consists of 12 months of supervised experience in diagnostic pediatric pathology, including surgical pathology, autopsy pathology, molecular diagnostics, hematopathology, neuropathology, perinatal/placental pathology, and clinical pathology. Research projects are incorporated into the training. The fellows prepare cases for interdisciplinary conferences and present the findings as per the monthly schedule. An optional second year fellowship may be available on an individual basis.

There is a wide array of pediatric surgical specimens, and autopsy cases include pediatric, perinatal, fetal and forensic patients. In addition, fellows review cases from a large pediatric consultation service and supervise and contribute to the education of rotating residents and medical students.

Requirements

Candidates must have an MD or DO degree, board eligibility in anatomic pathology and/or clinical pathology, and an unrestricted California Medical License by the time the fellowship begins.

To Apply

Candidates must have a valid unrestricted California medical license to apply and must be anatomic pathology board eligible. Clinical pathology board eligibility is preferred. To be considered, please fill out this application  and email your CV, three letters of recommendation and personal statement of career goals to Nick Shillingford, MD, Program Director, at  nshillingford@chla.usc.edu.

Program Fast Facts

ACGME Accredited: Yes   
Fellows per year: 1 - 2   
Application Deadline: N/A   
Duration: 1 - 2 years   
Postgraduate Training Required:    
4 years   
U.S. Citizenship Required: No   
Salary Minimums for 2023-2024:     
Post Graduate Year 4: $78,531 minimum 
Post Graduate Year 5: $81,677 minimum 
Post Graduate Year 6: $84,712 minimum 
Post Graduate Year 7: $87,652 minimum 
Post Graduate Year 8: $90,952 minimum 
Post Graduate Year 9+: Please contact gme@chla.usc.edu   
Benefits Include: Health and dental insurance, 14 days paid vacation+ 6 protected sick days, yearly educational stipend, monthly meal stipend, and 401(k) matching up to 3%

Meet Our Fellows

2023-2024

Mireille Bitar, MD

Medical School: Aleppo University Medical School, Aleppo Syria
Residency: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY

2023-2024

Michael W. Harrell, MD

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University SOM, Cleveland, OH
Residency: University of New Mexico SOM

Past Trainees: Where Are They Now?

2022-2023

Paul Zamiara, MD

Director, Perinatal Pathology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology
Keck School of Medicine of USC

2022-2023

Cristo J. Guardado Salazar, MD

Staff Pathologist, Valley Children’s Hospital, Madera, CA

2021-2022 

Moe R. Takeda, DO

Faculty, Assistant Professor, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2021-2022

Christopher LePhong, DO

Staff Pathologist, Valley Children’s Hospital, Madera, CA

2020-2021

Crystal Bockoven, MD

Staff Pathologist, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin in Madison

2020-2021 

Roshan Mahabir, MD, PhD

Deputy Medical Examiner, Michigan Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine

2019-2020 

Joshua Byers, MD

Neuropathologist/Pediatric Pathologist, Children’s Hospital Oakland

2019-2020 

Murad Alturkustani, MD

Pediatric Pathologist, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

2018-2019

Julie-Huss-Bawab, MD

Deputy Medical Examiner, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office   
Forensic Pathology Fellowship Director, ME Office/USC

2018-2019 

Nishant Tawari, MD

Pediatric Pathologist/Neuropathologist, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

2017-2018 

Fang Bu, MD

Pediatric Pathologist, Children’s Minnesota

2017-2018

Chelsea Maedler-Kron, MD

Pediatric Pathologist, Assistant Professor, Residency Program Director, McGil University, Montreal, Canada

Meet Our Faculty

Bruce R. Pawel, MD

Chief, Division of Anatomic Pathology   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Nick Shillingford, MD, FCAP

Program Director, Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Program   
Staff Pediatric Pathologist   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Shengmei Zhou, MD

Pediatric Pathologist, Attending Physician   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Jennifer Cotter, MD

Director, Neuropathology   
Director, Center for Pathology Research Services   
Pathology Director, CHLA Brain Tumor Center   
Attending Physician   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Debra Hawes, MD

Faculty Director, Immunohistochemistry   
Neuropathologist, Attending Physician   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Larry Wang, MD, PhD

Faculty Operations Director, Division of Anatomic Pathology   
Director, Quality Management in Anatomic Pathology   
Director, Surgical Pathology   
Associate Director, Center for Global Health   
Staff Pathologist   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine

Mikako Warren, MD

Director, Electron Microscopic Laboratory   
Staff Pathologist, Attending Physician   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Alexandra Kovach, MD

Director, Hematopathology   
Director, Hematopathology Fellowship Program Site   
Medical Director, Hematology Laboratory   
Medical Director, Bone Marrow Laboratory   
Associate Director, Center for Pathology Research Services   
Staff Hematopathologist and Pediatric Pathologist   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Gordana Raca, MD, PhD, FACMG

Director, Clinical Cytogenomics   
Center for Personalized Medicine   
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA   
Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Paul Zamiara, MD

Director, Perinatal Pathology
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, CHLA
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of USC