
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