Frequently Asked Questions

• Our program is the only pediatric residency program in Orange County.
• We are one of only a handful of programs in the nation with access to two freestanding children’s hospitals.
• We believe that residency should be both educational and fun, and that these goals are not mutually exclusive. We believe in work-life balance and the empowerment of residents to engage in the molding of their learning environment. These principles are what have earned our residency its longstanding reputation as a resident-friendly program. 
• Our residents are among the brightest, friendliest, most talented trainees in the nation. They bring a positive and innovative spirit to our program. They are a major factor in making our program special.

We look for well-rounded, hardworking students who also exhibit a high level of ability to work as part of a team. Because we are known for being a resident-friendly program with a strong sense of collegiality among our residents, we look for people who fit the culture of our program.

Orange County is a very desirable place to live. Combined with our program’s reputation, our residency receives hundreds of applications each year from students from all over the globe. We have been very fortunate to recruit students with varying backgrounds and experiences. You can visit our Meet Our Residents page to explore the diversity of trainees recruited to our program and visit our Instagram page to view our "Resident Spotlights"!

Orange County is one of the most diverse places in the nation. Long Beach further adds diversity to our patient population. Residents will see patients from a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Because all our training facilities serve as referral centers, residents are exposed to both bread-and-butter and rare conditions.

One of the greatest advantages of a university-based program is the extensive research opportunities that come with that affiliation. Residents can engage in a broad range of research projects from basic science to clinical to community-based projects. We offer a research elective for residents who want focused time to pursue a scholarly project. We also offer dedicated pathways and tracks for residents who would like to pursue more opportunities and advanced-level training to engage in health equity research and other domains with robust mentorship. Many of our residents have presented and published their work during residency.

Our program offers various educational activities for our residents on patient safety and quality improvement. Our first-year residents are educated on how to initiate and complete their required quality improvement project under the advisement of a project mentor. Additionally, during the PGY-1 ABC rotation, the residents complete a quality improvement primer. The program also holds quarterly noon conferences that specifically educate the residents on quality improvement techniques and are in collaboration with the CHOC Research Institute. Individual quality improvement project checklists are reviewed with the program twice a year during semi-annual meetings. Please see a list of resident QI projects this past academic year that were in alignment with the following hospital safety initiatives (standardization of transitions of care, effective utilization of language services, promotion of a culture of safety, promotion of wellness and resiliency, early, skillful and sensitive disclosure of medical errors), elimination of healthcare disparities, outpatient initiatives dedicated to screening, assessment of school readiness and asthma. 

QI projects in the inpatient setting:

• Early Onset Sepsis Risk Evaluation of Neonates born at 34 weeks
• Improving Pediatric Resident Procedural Competency via Procedural Workshops
• The Effect of Simulation-based Training on Confidence and Perceived Ability of Resident Physicians in Neonatal Resuscitation
• Improving Residents' and Parent Knowledge and Comfort with Sleep Training
• UCI-CHOC Lactation Policy and Breastfeeding Awareness and Support during Pediatric Residency
• Increasing Closed-Loop Referrals for Social Determinants of Health 
• Assess the need for and efficacy of a PICU Code White Drill for Pediatric Residents
• Development and Improvement of the Admission Huddle Process
• Minimizing NPO Times for Imaging with Sedation for Inpatient Hospitalizations 
• VIP LIGHT Study 2022 Hyperbilirubinemia Guidelines

QI Projects in the outpatient setting: 

• School Readiness in Primary Care Clinic
• Vitamin D prescription for Newborns and Infants
• Implementing Universal HIV Screening in a Pediatrics Practice: CHOC Chapman
• Improving screening rates (outpatient/clinic-based and not hospital-based)
• Readiness/Developmental Concerns in Pediatric Patients Within Orange County
• Promoting Comprehensive Asthma Education and Incorporating Asthma Action Plans for Pediatric Patients with a Diagnosis of Asthma at the UCI Anaheim Outpatient Clinic 
• Asthma Control - How to be a SMART PEDIATRICIAN 
• Increasing Depression Screening at CHOC Chapman
• Assessing School Readiness/Developmental Concerns in Pediatric Patients Within Orange County 
• Bottles are for Babies: To improve dental care

Residents are urged to attend the CHOC Enterprise Quality and Safety Meeting as part of their noon conference education experience. Our House Safety Officers attend monthly morbidity & mortality conferences and then share lessons learned with their peers at monthly Housestaff meetings. Chief residents also review safety reports from all sites and disseminate updates and tips to the residency program via the weekly Chief newsletter.

EXPLORE PEDIATRICS department RESEARCH

Yes, all extramural rotation applications for visiting students are managed through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunity (VSLO) process. Available rotations can be found in the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Electives Course Catalog.  

Fourth-year medical students are also invited to consider a unique opportunity provided by our Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Residency Program: the HEARTi program. This program complements the visiting student’s rotation with an additional focus on Health Equity, Anti-Racism and Trauma-informed clinical care. Students interested must submit an application by the program deadline. Visiting non-UCI students are eligible to receive a $2000-3000 stipend.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HEARTI PROGRAM

Residents are given four weeks of vacation per year, the longest amount of time allowable by The American Board of Pediatrics. Additionally, our rotation and call schedules are planned so residents have several months per year for respite from the traditional Q4 call system.

Roughly 25 percent of our residents pursue fellowship opportunities, while 75 percent go into general pediatrics. Our residents have had great success in procuring the jobs and fellowships of their choice. Please visit our Alumni page to see details about where our residents have gone for fellowships.

All applicants must take Step 1, or COMLEX Level 1 for DO applicants, to qualify for an interview. It is strongly recommended that applicants take USMLE Step 2, or COMLEX Level 2 for DO applicants, early enough to have passing scores available for our selection committee to review by January. There is no minimum score cutoff for application. Passing both exams is strictly required prior to starting residency at UCI-CHOC.

The University of California only accepts J-1 visas. If you have a current J-1 visa, a current ECFMG certificate is also required. All applications must be submitted through ERAS.

Interviews are scheduled for October, November and December. Invitations are typically sent out starting in mid-October. Our program reviews all applications on a rolling basis. All applicants will receive a response no later than December 1st.

There is no need to provide notification when new scores or letters are uploaded to ERAS. The program checks ERAS files frequently.