General Pediatrics Residency Curriculum Continuity Clinics Didactics Leadership & Committee Work Individualized Tracks Pathways STAR Pathway Primary Care Pathway STAR Pathway Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Pediatrics: Home Pediatrics: Education & Training Pediatrics: Education & Training > Residency Programs Pediatrics: Education & Training > Residency Programs > General Pediatrics Residency Program Pediatrics: Education & Training > Residency Programs > General Pediatrics Residency Program > Curriculum Pediatrics: Education & Training > Residency Programs > General Pediatrics Residency Program > Curriculum > Pathways Pediatrics: Education & Training > Residency Programs > General Pediatrics Residency Program > Curriculum > Pathways > STAR Pathway Addressing Health Inequities The STAR (Service, Teaching, Advocacy and Research) pathway is ideal for those who want to take a deeper dive into studying population health via health equity outcomes, community health and engagement. This pathway allows selected residents to engage in impactful research concentrating on health inequities within the communities we serve. STAR resident scholars receive training in foundational research concepts while conducting a research project alongside a mentor. Training the Future Pediatric Workforce Inequities due to structural and social determinants of health pose unique challenges to pediatric health outcomes and access to optimal healthcare. To address this challenge, it is crucial that our future pediatric workforce is trained to improve quality of care for patients with diverse lived experiences — with consideration of factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language fluency, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds. The STAR track provides a robust infrastructure that leans on the strengths of skilled mentors and institutional resources. These resources include the CHOC Research Institute, UCI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) and UCI Office of Research. By leveraging this support, residents will strengthen their skills in identifying and addressing health inequities in clinical care, community health or medical education through scholarly projects tethered in purpose to service, teaching, advocacy and research. History, Purpose, Vision, Learning Objectives & Requirements History The Service, Teaching, Advocacy and Research or STAR program was founded in 2020 with funding support from the CalMedForce GME grant by Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, and Behnoosh Afghani, MD, with a common goal of supporting future pediatricians who have an interest in eliminating health inequities through mentored scholarly activities and advocacy. The idea was generated by Dr. Taylor Lucas in response to resident requests for increased training in health disparities and opportunities for mentored scholarship, and the program structure and purpose was established with Dr. Afghani as the inaugural director, in recognition of her expertise in research, mentorship and program development. The STAR program provides structured guidance to mentors and pediatric residents for the purpose of identifying and addressing regional health disparities through clinical and community interventions which impact child and family health. In 2024, in partnership with Kira Molas-Torreblanca, DO, the program evolved into the STAR pathway to further formalize the structure of the program with additional elective and curricular content that optimally supports pediatric residents' knowledge and skills in addressing health inequities through service, teaching, advocacy and research. Purpose The purpose of the STAR Pathway is to provide necessary skills for pediatric resident scholars to foster equity in child health. Scholars will undertake a research project under the support of a dedicated mentor, enabling them to be of service to the patients and communities served by the UCI/CHOC pediatric residency program, disseminate knowledge and skills acquired through the program to become effective teachers, and develop advocacy skills to promote health equity at the clinical and/or community levels. Vision To produce pediatric scholars who are catalysts for health equity. Learning Objectives & Requirements Learning Objectives Obtain knowledge about the structural and social determinants of health. Become aware of regional health inequities impacting children and families. Gain knowledge of research methods (e.g., study designs, sampling strategies), basic biostatistics and data analysis. Become familiar with ethical practices in research (e.g., patient privacy and consent), and requirements for institutional review board submission. Identify gaps in the scientific literature related to health inequities. Learning Requirements Demonstrate knowledge about the process of designing a research project. Conduct research activities applicable to the specified project. Collaborate and communicate effectively with a mentor and other team members. Present research plans and results to colleagues to demonstrate effective skills in dissemination of findings. Schedule Overview During the intern year, two to three residents (STAR scholars) will be chosen to participate in the program. Based on interest, STAR scholars will be matched with mentors to design and implement their project. Scholars will be required to complete a series of workshops to increase their familiarity with research procedures and regional challenges related to health inequity during their first and second year. They will receive guidance throughout residency to complete their project prior to the end of their third year. First Year of Residency (PGY-1) Declare interest by mid-year and complete the STAR scholar application Meet with STAR Scholar program director Select and meet with STAR scholar mentor and identify a project Attend quarterly workshops related to research design, advanced statistics, health equity and ethical considerations in research Complete needs assessment/asset map and literature review Identify community and/or institutional partners (if applicable) Start designing the research project Second Year of Residency (PGY-2) Complete a four-week STAR research elective (four weeks can be split into two two-week rotations during the second year) Complete research project submission to the institutional review board Attend STAR program director and mentor meetings Attend quarterly workshops Submit abstract to a national meeting (encouraged) Third Year of Residency (PGY-3) Attend STAR program director and mentor meetings Complete a two-week STAR research elective dedicated to completing the research project Submit abstract to a national meeting (required) Disseminate knowledge gained to others through conferences and Grand Rounds Work on a manuscript 2024–2025 Workshops Topic: Biostatistics and Research Design Speaker: Lois Sayrs, PhD Director, Research Institute, Biostatistics Rady’s Children’s Health, Orange County Topic: Guidelines for Institutional Review Board (IRB) Submission Speaker: Shannon Tanaka Manager Research Programs Research Institute | Rady Children’s Health, Orange County Topic: Trauma-Informed Care: Biological Impact of Toxic Stress and Building Resilience Speaker: Daphne Wong, MD Assistant Medical Director, Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team Rady Children’s Health, Orange County Topic: The Social Drivers of Health: Gaps and Opportunities Speaker: Geeta Grover, MD Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician UCI Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Application Information Applications Due October 12th of intern year Applications for the 2025 program have closed. Meet Our 2024-25 STAR Scholars Kapila Patel, MD Jennifer Yokoyama, MD Brandon Wong, MD Meet Our 2023-24 STAR Scholars Yvonne Adigwu, MD Jenny Marino, MD Mithya Morton, MD Peggy Kuo, DO Marian Martin, MD Haley Palaganas, MD Meet Our 2022-23 STAR Scholars Laura Borden, MD Nikhil Kumar, MD Ashley Jimenez, MD Katherine Killmond, MD Kiran Mazloom, DO Program Leadership Behnoosh Afghani, MD Co-Founder and Director Candice Taylor Lucas, MD Founder and Advisor Kira Molas-Torreblanca, DO Co-Founder and Advisor For questions about the program, please contact Dr. Behnoosh Afghani at bafghani@hs.uci.edu.