Message from the Program Director

As Program Director, I am honored to welcome you to our fellowship program. At UC Irvine, our mission is to train compassionate, skilled and knowledgeable physicians dedicated to caring for patients with serious illness and supporting the families who love them.

Our comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum equips fellows with advanced expertise in pain and symptom management, serious illness communication and holistic, patient-centered care. Through rotations at UCI Medical Center, the VA Long Beach Healthcare System, VITAS Hospice and Hoag Hospital, fellows gain broad clinical experience across diverse care settings.

A hallmark of our program is its longitudinal emphasis on navigating complex ethical dilemmas in palliative care. Fellows receive mentorship from an experienced ethicist and advanced training in communication, preparing them to support patients and families through challenging decisions.

Our graduates have gone on to serve as hospice medical directors, lead inpatient palliative care teams and bring palliative care leadership to integrated healthcare systems. They are a testament to the strength of our faculty — an engaged, multidisciplinary group committed to clinical excellence, education and mentorship across all of our affiliated sites.

Whether you are a prospective fellow, current trainee or valued colleague, we invite you to explore what makes our program distinctive. We look forward to supporting you on this transformative journey in palliative medicine.

Shiho Ito, MD
Program Director, Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Department of Medicine
Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine & Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine