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
Post Graduate Year 5: $81,677
Post Graduate Year 6: $84,712
Post Graduate Year 7: $87,652
Post Graduate Year 8: $90,592
Post Graduate Year 9: $93,532
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

2022-2023
Paul Zamiara, MD

Medical School: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London ON Canada
Residency: Dalhousie University, Halifax NS Canada

2022-2023
Cristo J. Guardado Salazar, MD

Medical School: Universidad Evangelica de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
Residency: Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Past Trainees

Where Are They Now?

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

Odey C. Ukpo, MD, MS

Medical Director, Medical Examiner
Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner