UCI Health

Fellows spend three (3) months of the fellowship year on inpatient consultation services at UCI Health's Douglas Hospital. The 459-bed acute care hospital provides tertiary and quaternary care. Ambulatory and specialty medical clinics as well as behavioral health and rehabilitation services also are available at the medical center in Orange. Our inpatient consult service sees over 1,200 patients a year.

Fellows take part in daily interdisciplinary rounds with the palliative care team, which includes attendings, residents, medical students, advanced practice nurses, social workers, a pharmacist, medical assistants and a chaplain.

Fellows are expected to collaborate with the team to identify and address patients’ physical, medical, emotional, social, familial and spiritual needs. They are responsible for managing patients in an interdisciplinary clinic setting, functioning much like attending physicians. They also are responsible for the initial patient presentation as well as overseeing the resident and medical student presentations. Fellows also have continuity clinic at UCI Health on either Mondays or Fridays.

Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital

Fellows spend one (1) month focusing specifically on the care of seriously ill pediatric patients at Miller Children’s and Women's Hospital in Long Beach.

While on this rotation, fellows participate in scheduled, formal IDT meetings with nurse practitioners, physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers and chaplains. Fellow are expected to lead the IDT discussions.

Fellows are responsible for coordinating care between specialists, primary care pediatricians and the interdisciplinary team with the goal of providing family-centered care for these children. The fellows follow their patients into home hospice or home palliative care.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Fellows spend approximately two (2) months on the inpatient palliative care consultation service at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, a large community medical center in Newport Beach.

While on this rotation, they participate in a formal IDT daily meeting that include physicians, an advanced practice nurse, social workers and a chaplain.  Fellows are expected to coordinate intensive whole patient care, family support and teamwork, in partnership with the referring teams. The objective is to meet the needs of patients and their families. The focus of the IDT at Hoag is communication. 

VA Long Beach Healthcare System

Fellows spend at least one (1) month at inpatient hospice unit at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System.

Fellows are expected to attend the weekly meeting of the interdisciplinary team, which includes a physician, a nurse practitioner, a social worker, nurses, a psychologist, a chaplain and a recreation therapist. 

Fellows are expected to take on the role of attending physician during this meeting and to help to coordinate an interdisciplinary care plan for the patients in the inpatient unit. 

During this rotation, fellows care for patients in the hospital's inpatient hospice unit. They also participate in new inpatient consultations to determine whether patients are appropriately assigned to the hospice unit.

Fellows are expected to lead the IDT discussion and to coordinate the interdisciplinary resources appropriately.

VITAS Healthcare

Fellows spend at least three (3) months seeing hospice patients through the hospital agency VITAS Healthcare® in Orange County. Fellows participate in two (2) weekly hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings.

During the first week of rotation, fellows shadow the team physician. In subsequent weeks, fellows take on increasing responsibility for creating comprehensive, interdisciplinary hospice care plans for the patients. About half the patients are in long-term care facilities.

Fellows work under the supervision of the team physician and in conjunction with the team, which includes nurse case managers, licensed vocational nurses, chaplain/bereavement counselors, social workers and home health aides.

The goal is for fellows to take on the role of team physician by the end of the rotation.

Elective Rotation

Fellows spend one (1) month on their elective rotation. Previous fellows have selected the following: international rotation, research, interventional-chronic-ambulatory pain, ethics, integrative medicine, subspeciality away rotation.

Other examples of opportunities include: pediatric hospice/palliative care, neurocritical care, rehabilitation, cardiovascular ICU service, HIV clinic, and home dialysis. We are open and flexible to meet the request and needs of the fellows.

Vacations/Time Off

Fellows have 4 weeks of vacation and have all major holidays off.

Call

Fellows work 12 weekends a year, during the day. No night calls.

Please click here for a sample schedule.

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Salary:

• July 2022- June 2023: $79,835*
• *Increase in salary scale of 3% each year
• Includes $8,000 housing stipend

Educational Stipend:

• Fees for conferences and educational materials covered  

Monthly Meal Allowance:

• July 2022- June 2023: $80/month

UCI Health Wellness Program:

• Support services available for employee wellness, financial resources, events, and programs, as well as community involvement opportunities. Visit here for more information.

White Coats 

• Each fellow will be provided 2 white coats. The fellowship will also provide a service for whitecoat dry cleaning.

Two fellows are accepted for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship program, which begins July 1st each year.

Applicants must apply through the ERAS Fellowships Documents Office. The program will gain access to applications July 20, 2022.

Per the board requirements, we accept applicants from the following specialties:

• Internal Medicine
• Family Medicine
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Psychiatry
• Neurology
• Anesthesiology
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Child Neurology
• Radiation Oncology
• Emergency Medicine
• Radiology
• Obstetrics and Gynecology

Applicants are expected to provide (3) letters of recommendation from:

• A palliative care or hospice physician
• A letter from a supervisor (i.e. Program Director, supervisor, attending)
• A letter of your choice (i.e. Palliative Care Social Worker, Nurse, or PharmD)

Medical Licensure:

• Applicants should ensure that they are eligible for medical licensure in the state of California prior to applying. Requirements can be found on the Medical Board of California or Osteopathic Medical Board of California websites.

Visa Status:

• J-1 only

Interview Schedule:

• Tuesdays/Thursdays from August-October
• Due to the current coronavirus pandemic all interviews will be conducted on zoom

Early submission is recommended as interview slots may be filled prior to application deadlines.