UC Davis Health launches fellowship programs in pediatric cardiology and pediatric hospital medicine

UC Davis Health is expanding its graduate medical education programs with the launch of new fellowships in pediatric hospital medicine and pediatric cardiology. The programs will train the next generation of pediatric specialists and are expected to help ease workforce shortages and improve access to care.

The first trainee in the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship is Patrick Mac Light who joined UC Davis Health this summer. The two-year, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited program prepares physicians for board certification and leadership roles in clinical care, quality improvement, medical education and research. Fellows train primarily at UC Davis Children's Hospital and gain additional experience at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, a community hospital and long-standing UC Davis clinical affiliate.

Spandana Sama is the first fellow in Pediatric Cardiology. The ACGME-accredited, three-year program provides advanced training in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease, including cardiac imaging, catheterization, critical care, electrophysiology and cardiac surgery.

"These new fellowships are an exciting opportunity to train physicians to provide care in these critically important pediatric subspecialties," said Susan Guralnick, UC Davis associate dean for graduate medical education. "As the only medical center in the region providing pediatric fellowship education, UC Davis Health is dedicated to advancing the health of children from the north bay up to the Oregon border."

After their training, fellows often transition into attending physicians in their specialty and pursue board certification in that field.

The new fellowships reflect UC Davis Children's Hospital's commitment to expanding access to specialized pediatric care while developing future physician leaders.

"Across California and the nation, we are seeing growing shortages of pediatric subspecialists, resulting in long wait times and delayed access to children with complex medical needs," said Satyan Lakshminrusimha, chair of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief of UC Davis Children's Hospital. "By expanding our pediatric fellowship programs, we are investing in the next generation of pediatric physician leaders and helping to build the workforce needed to ensure children and families have access to the specialized care they deserve."

Other pediatric subspecialty programs offered at UC Davis Health include:

• Allergy and Immunology Fellowship
• Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Fellowship
• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship
• Pediatric Advanced Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
• Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Fellowship

Related stories

Are we losing a generation of pediatric subspecialists?