UCI/CHOC Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Program

The UCI/CHOC Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Program aims to prepare well-rounded pediatric surgeons who are academically, clinically and professionally able to meet the demands of an ever-changing landscape in medicine. The two-year program is accredited by ACGME. The core faculty of the fellowship comprises ten pediatric surgeons, each with unique and complementary clinical, research and administrative skills.

The training and education of medical students, residents and fellows has been a longstanding focus of CHOC. Each year, CHOC trains about 290 residents and fellows from 38 different training programs, along with 190 medical students. The specialized programs we offer include: ECMO, Colorectal, fetal, Chest reconstruction, and Trauma.

The UCI/CHOC Fetal Research Fellowship Program is ideal for a general surgery resident who has completed their third clinical year and is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric surgery. The two-year Fetal Research Fellowship focuses on fetal diagnosis, fetal therapy, and improving the care of maternal-fetal dyads confronting complex anomalies.

    • Contact Us
    • UCI/CHOC Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Program
      505 S. Main St.
      Orange, CA 92868
      Phone: 714-364-4050
      Fax: 714-364-4051
    • Cesar Plascencia
      Program Coordinator
      Phone: 714-509-8866

Current Fellows

Amy Lawrence, MD

Program Start date: August 1st, 2023

Expected Program Completion Date: July 30th, 2025

Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane, NO

ACGME Residency: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

       

Previous Fellows

Yangyang Yu, MD

Program Start date: August 1st, 2021

Program Completion Date: July 30th, 2023

Current Appointment: Pediatric Surgeon, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

Previous Training: General Surgery Residency Program: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

About the Program

Program Overview

Duration: 2 years
Rotations: The fellowship will include four month-long elective rotations in the first year including NICU, PICU, ENT and urology.
Prerequisite training: Applicants should have completed requirements of the American Board of Surgery (five years in an approved general surgical residency program in the U.S. or Canada) by the time of the desired appointment, and at that time, they must be licensed to practice medicine in the state of California. ATLS certification is also required.

Benefits

PGY-6 salary: $101,151.33 per year including benefits
PGY-7 salary: $104,164.11 per year including benefits
Vacation: 4 weeks per year
Professional development: APSA conference (year 1), AAP conference (year 2), educational courses

Education Stipend: $1,500

Additional Benefits: Hospital-issued laptop, free parking, paid board and Psite exams, designated call rooms, mock orals and more.

Research

There is strong institutional support for research with provision of administrative assistants, research coordinators and biostatisticians. Pediatric surgery fellows will be encouraged to take advantage of this infrastructure to advance their academic interests.

Curriculum

Year 1: 8 months of pediatric surgery, 1 month each of NICU, PICU, ENT, urology
Year 2: 12 months of pediatric surgery

Our Hospitals

CHOC
Fellows will spend the majority of their time at CHOC, a tertiary care, freestanding children’s hospital serving a diverse population in the sixth most populous county in the nation. Ranked as a top children’s hospital by U.S. News and World Report, CHOC’s main hospital is a 334-bed facility that boasts a 92-bed level IV NICU, 30-bed PICU and 12-bed cardiovascular ICU. CHOC’s ECMO program is designated as a Gold Center of Excellence by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. CHOC’s Emergency Department is a 22,000-square foot, full-service, 24/7 ED and an ACS-verified level 1 pediatric trauma center. As a partnership between UCI Health and CHOC, The Fetal Care Center of Southern California brings together experts in maternal-fetal medicine and pediatrics. CHOC has seven main operating theaters, four minor procedure rooms, a dedicated cardiac surgery operating room, a cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology suite, and is presently adding two more operating rooms. Each of the main operating rooms are equipped with state-of-the art equipment for minimally invasive surgery. We provide robust training in oncology, minimally invasive surgery, and fetal diagnosis and management. We offer the full complement of regularly scheduled educational conferences, such as grand rounds, M&M, Maternal Fetal Care Conference, GI-Surgery conference, ECMO conference, trauma M&M and more. Learn more about CHOC’s division of pediatric general and thoracic surgery.

University of California, Irvine
UCI is the only academic health system in Orange County and has been recognized as one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report for 20 consecutive years. It is dedicated to the discovery of new medical frontiers, teaching future healers and the delivery of the finest evidence-based care. The UCI Department of Pediatrics boasts numerous nationally renowned divisions and a 45-bed, state-of-the-art, level III NICU that provides excellent medical and surgical care to a wide-range of neonatal conditions. In addition, high-risk perinatal deliveries occur at UCI Medical Center; newborns with complex surgical needs may be treated at UCI or transferred to CHOC. Learn more about the UCI Department of Surgery.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through the Electronic Resident Application System (ERAS) and we participate in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Publications

  1. Stephen Stopenski, Jennifer Jolley, Carol Major, Tamera Hatfield, Danh V. Nguyen, Yigit S. Guner, Matthew Harting, Peter T. Yu. Inborn Versus Outborn Delivery in Neonates with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Manuscript accepted by The Journal of Surgical Research on September 16, 2021 (JSURGRES-D-21-00798R2).
  2. Akemi L.Kawaguchi, Yigit S.Guner, Stig Sømme, Alexandria C. Quesenberry, Grier Arthur, Juan E.Sola, Cynthia D.Downard, Rebecca M.Rentea, Patricia A.Valusek, Caitlin A.Smith, Mark B.Slidell, Robert L. Ricca, RoshniDasgupta, Elizabeth Renaud, Doug Miniati, Jarod McAteer, Alana L.Beres, JuliaGrabowski, Ankush Gosain. Management and Outcomes for Long-Segment Hirschsprung Disease: A Systematic Review from the APSA Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee.J Ped Surg. 2021 Sep; 56(9):1513-1523. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.03.046. PMID: 33993978.
  3. Sacks MA, Goodman LF, Khan FA, Radulescu A. Unusual cause of appendicitis: Orthodontic wire. Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. 2021 August;71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsc.2021.101909
View publications list

Surgical Volumes

We are proud to offer a robust operative experience. Our pediatric surgery fellow will be exposed to the breadth of pediatric surgery, including a large neonatal operative volume. Here is a list of selected cases for two separate two-year periods. Whenever possible, these cases are performed using a minimally invasive approach.

pediatric surgery volumes

Faculty

Gholizadeh, Maryam MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr Maryam Gholizadeh is a board-certified pediatric surgeon who performs general and thoracic surgeries on infants, kids and teens at CHOC.

Guner, Yigit S. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Yigit Guner is a board-certified pediatric surgeon who performs general and thoracic surgeries on infants, kids and teens at CHOC.

Reyna, Troy M. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050

Dr. Troy Reyna is a board-certified pediatric surgeon at CHOC, specializing in pectus excavatum, hernias and hyperhidrosis.

Yu, Peter T. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050

Dr. Peter Yu is a board-certified pediatric surgeon at CHOC, performing all types of general surgery and specializing in neonatal surgery, perinatal counseling, pediatric laparoscopic surgery and hernia surgery.

Awan, Saeed MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Saeed Awan is a board certified pediatric general and thoracic surgeon who treats children and teens at CHOC in Orange County.

Gibbs, David L. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Gibbs is a pediatric surgeon, also serving as director of trauma services at CHOC and division chief of pediatric surgery.

Goodman, Laura F. MD

Specialties: Pediatric Surgery, Thoracic Surgery
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Goodman is a pediatric general and thoracic surgeon who performs surgery on infants and children at CHOC Hospital in Orange

Shaul, Donald B. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Shaul is board certified in pediatric surgery and specializes in colorectal conditions in infants, children and teenagers.

Kabeer, Mustafa H. MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Mustafa Kabeer is a board-certified pediatric surgeon at CHOC, performing all types of general surgery and specializing in pectus excavatum (sunken chest), lung resection, hernia and robotic surgery.

Ahmad, Hira MD

Specialty: Pediatric Surgery
Appointments: 714-364-4050
Office: 714-364-4050

Dr. Ahmad is a board certified general surgeon and board eligible pediatric surgeon who is on medical staff at CHOC Hospital in Orange.

Photo Gallery

Southern California Living

View of pier on the ocean at sunset
We know it’s important to have a high quality of life outside of work. Southern California offers that in abundance. Famous for its warm climate, Southern California averages temperatures of 70 degrees and higher throughout most of the year. With just a handful of rainy days each year, it’s not uncommon to enjoy the winter holidays in warm sunshine. Also, the region boasts unbeatable entertainment, shopping and attractions. And with the beach, mountains and desert all a short drive away, there is something here for everyone. Child-friendly communities and exciting nightlife mean singles and families alike can enjoy the wonderful lifestyle Southern California has to offer.