Fellowship Programs
Fellowship Program Director: Molly Deane, MD FACS
Fellowship Program Coordinator: Rosa Cruz
Harbor-UCLA Faculty: Vincent Chong MD FACS, Jessica Keeley MD FACS, Angela Neville MD FACS, Brant Putnam MD FACS, Alexander Schwed MD, George Singer MD FACS, Jennifer Smith MD FACS
Mission: To prepare trainees for a rewarding career caring for patients and their loved ones during their times of greatest need through the application of best effective practices, graduated responsibility, and mentorship.
Program Overview: The Division of Trauma/Acute Care Surgery/Surgical Critical Care at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is proud to offer two (2) fellowship positions in Surgical Critical Care annually. This intense 1-year ACGME-accredited fellowship provides trainees with an opportunity to care for a unique and diverse patient population in a busy County hospital environment.
Harbor-UCLA is the busiest and only Level 1 trauma center serving the South Bay of Los Angeles County. Annually, the Division provides high-quality and compassionate care for >4,500 injured patients, of which over 20% present following a penetrating mechanism of injury. In the 2022 calendar year, the Division of Trauma performed over 2,000 trauma and emergency general surgery cases. In addition to caring for patients admitted to the fast-paced 14-bed Trauma-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), the Division of Trauma also manages all Acute Care & Emergency General Surgery patients.
Fellow Responsibilities: In addition to a rich clinical experience, ample research opportunities exist. As a major training site for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, fellows are also expected to actively participate in the education of both medical students and residents. Leadership opportunities and administrative experience are also encouraged through active participation in ongoing patient safety and quality improvement projects, as well as hospital committee efforts.
Curriculum Description:
Rotation Schedule
SICU – Harbor-UCLA Medical Center: 6 months
CTU – Harbor-UCLA: 2 months
Trauma/ACS – Harbor UCLA 3 months
Liver ICU/ECMO: UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center 1 month
TOTAL 12 months
Tuesdays 10:00am: Bedside ICU Teaching Rounds
Tuesdays 11:00am: Multidisciplinary Rounds
Tuesdays 2:00-3:00pm: Journal Club
Wednesdays 7:30-9:30am: Academic Half-Day Simulation and surgical skills
Wednesdays 12:00-2:00pm Ultrasound Image Review & Mini-Journal Club
Thursdays 12:00-1:00pm: Weekly Trauma/Critical Care Conference
Throughout the academic year, numerous opportunities exist for fellows to participate in educational activities at the Harbor-UCLA Simulation Center, as well as the UCLA Simulation Center in Westwood. All faculty in the Division of Trauma are actively involved in surgical skills and simulation training and hold leadership positions in key educational programs.
Funding and protected time are also provided for fellows to participate in American College of Surgeons trauma education courses. These include: ATOM, ASSET, ATLS, BEST, DMEP. Fellows are strongly encouraged to achieve ATLS Instructor certification.
Applicants:
Information A minimum of 3 years of general surgery training at an accredited residency program in the US is required. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed a general surgery residency. Please refer the NRMP website for details regarding the SCC fellowship application process. Non-US graduates with J1 visas are accepted.
Timeline and Dates Invitations for interviews will be sent in late May each year. Interviews take place in June, July and August.
Please contact Rosa Cruz for further information: Email: rosacruz@lundquist.org Phone: 424-306-8074
Current Fellows:
2023-2024
Devon Callahan, MD: Residency Harbor UCLA Medical Center Torrance, CA
Jinwen Sui, MD: Residency Huntington Hospital Pasadena, CA
Alumni:
2022-2023
Jason Cheng, MD Post Fellowship: Maimonides Medical Center Brooklyn, NY
John Reinier Narvaez, MD Post Fellowship: Guam Regional Medical City Dededo, GU
2021-2022
Daphnee Beaulieu, MD SUNY Upstate (return to residency)
2020-2021
Ryan McPherson, DO Post-Fellowship: St. David’s South Austin Medical Ctr, Austin, TX
Sean Degmetich, MD Post-Fellowship: Memorial Medical Center, Modesto, CA
2019-2020
Michael Esparza, MD Post Fellowship: Eden Medical Center, Sutter Health Organization, Castro Valley, CA
2018-2019
Amanda Sosulski, MD Post Fellowship: SUNY Stoneybrook, NY
Neil Patel, MD Post Fellowship: CHI Health Creighton University – (CUMC Bergan Mercy) Omaha, NE
2017-2018
Catherine Fontecha, MD Post-Fellowship: Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside, CA
2016-2017
Matthew Coates, MD Post-Fellowship: San Joaquin Hospital, Modesto, CA
Richard Vasak, MD Post-Fellowship: Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, CA
2015-2016
Rohit Sharma, MD Post-Fellowship: Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, CA
Fellowship Program Director: Nikhil Kansal, MD
Associate Program Director: Nina Bowens, MD
Long Beach Memorial Site Director: Mohammad Jaber, MD
Fellowship Program Coordinator: Rosa Cruz
Harbor-UCLA Faculty:
Christian de Virgilio, MD
Nikhil Kansal, MD
Nina Bowens, MD
Mark Archie, MD
Meena Archie, MD
Long Beach Memorial Hospital Faculty:
Rodney White, MD
Simon Rayhanabad, MD
Joseph Vardayo, MD
Ankur Gupta, MD
Mohammad Jaber, MD
Andre Maginot, MD
Program Overview:
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center offers a two-year ACGME accredited Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program. We accept one fellow per year at the PGY6 level. The program offers a unique experience for trainees including exposure to an academic county hospital as well as a busy private practice model. Fellows have the opportunity to care for a wide patient demographic, with time divided evenly between Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Long Beach Memorial Hospital. Our trainees gain a well-versed experience in both endovascular and open procedures and exceed number requirements for open aortic procedures.
Fellow Responsibilities:
The Vascular Fellow manages core patient care responsibilities of the service in conjunction with rotating general surgery residents. Fellows are given increasing autonomy commensurate with level and progress. Participation in clinical and quality improvement research projects is encouraged, as is attendance at regional and national vascular meetings.
Curriculum Description:
Wednesday morning is protected time designated for educational conferences. Didactic lectures are guided by the Scientific American TM Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (SAVES) curriculum. Practical sessions including simulation modules and cadaver dissection labs are incorporated throughout the curriculum. Fellows and general surgery residents share in the responsibility of presenting SAVES curriculum topics, pre-operative conference, and Morbidity and Mortality conference.
Interview dates:
Fellowship applications will be accepted via the NRMP and ERAS pathway. We will hold interview dates each year in February and March.
Please contact Rosa Cruz for further information:
Email: rosacruz@lundquist.org
Phone: 424-306-8074
Fax: 310-533-1841
Living in South Bay Los Angeles:
The South Bay of Los Angeles is a vibrant and lively place to live. Stretching along the southern shore of Santa Monica Bay, it’s home to famous picture-perfect beaches including Manhattan Beach and Hermosa beach. South Bay has a laid-back beach city vibe that is out of the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles, but only a short 30-minute drive from the city. Living in Los Angeles County means that there is something for everyone, no matter what your interests are. With beautiful weather year-round, there are endless outdoor activities for our residents to enjoy, such as hiking, kayaking, surfing, rock climbing and many more. Additionally, there are various museums, art galleries and professional sports teams in the area. Pair these activities with an incredible culinary scene, as the area’s diverse population means food options range across all cultures with unique and delicious options around every corner. For residents with a family at home or planning for one in the future, there are excellent school districts in the area with many of the best rated schools in Los Angeles County.
Current Fellows:
2021-2023
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PGY7Jinny Lu, MD |
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PGY6Crystal James, MD |
Alumni:
2021-2023
Lisa Pedevillano, DO
Post-Fellowship: Jefferson Northeast in Philadelphia
2020-2022
Benjamin Fegale, MD
Post-Fellowship: Riverside University Health Systems
2019-2021
Amit Karmur, DO
Post-Fellowship: Murrieta Valley Surgery Associates, Temecula, CA
2018-2020
Yan Cho, MD
Post-Fellowship: Kaiser Bay Area, CA
2017-2019
David Tobey, DO
Post-Fellowship: MLK Community Medical Group, CA
2016-2018
Allan Capote, MD
Post-Fellowship: Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA
2015-2017
Amr El-Sergany, MD
Post-Fellowship: Kaiser Permanente, Honolulu, HI
2014-2016
Carlos Pineda, MD
Post-Fellowship: Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose, CA
2013-2015
Ankur Gupta, MD
Post-Fellowship: Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, CA
2012-2014
Justin Galovich, MD
Post-Fellowship: Vascular, Interventional & Vein Associates, Vero Beach, FL
2011-2013
Mohammad Jaber, MD
Post-Fellowship: Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, CA