Pediatric Surgery Fellowship

Our Pediatric Surgery Fellowship is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The program was established in 2011 and accepts one fellow every two years. We are committed to helping you become an exceptional, well-rounded professional in pediatric surgery. We’ll train you in an environment that values excellence, diversity, global perspectives, and high-quality care.

How to apply: View application instructions and get answers to common questions.

Why Choose Us

Our team is a diverse and passionate group of pediatric surgeons who bring together a rich mix of culture, experience, and training from around the world. We are united by our commitment to creating a supportive learning environment where fellows are encouraged to grow with confidence and independence.

Advanced clinical exposure: Our pediatric surgery fellowship is a single fellow program with more than 3,000 operations per year and approximately 400 children with non-operative traumatic injuries.
Diverse training: You’ll train alongside experts in neonatology, oncology, critical care, and other specialties, gaining a deep understanding of complex pediatric cases through a true team-based approach.
Research experience: From participation in national conferences to opportunities for clinical research, you’ll be encouraged to contribute to advancing pediatric surgical knowledge while building your skillsets.

Program Components

Curriculum

The pediatric surgery fellowship program offers a comprehensive curriculum of learning modules, weekly lectures, maternal-fetal medicine conferences, pathology, and monthly journal club and mock orals.

As a fellow, you’ll be encouraged to attend the Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery course and St. Jude’s Pediatric Oncology training program. We also encourage you to attend national meetings such as American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA). During your first year, you’ll rotate on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU). Your entire second year will be dedicated to the pediatric surgical service.

We also encourage you to participate in our global surgery mission trips.

Facilities

Your training takes place at a single site — the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Within our Level 1 trauma program, you’ll help manage over 100 pediatric patients, involving both penetrating and blunt trauma. You will be supported by a large general surgery program, with 1-3 senior residents and 3-4 junior residents always rotating on pediatric surgery.

Our children's hospital, with its 84-bed Level IV NICU, has strong programs in all pediatric subspecialties required to run a vibrant pediatric surgery fellowship program.

Research

You’ll gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to plan, conduct, analyze, present, and publish original clinical research and participate in quality improvement (QI) and outcomes scholarship consistent with ACGME competencies.