Child Neurology Residency Program
UC Irvine Health School of Medicine offers a five-year ACGME-accredited, combined Pediatrics and Child Neurology Residency Program.
Our categorical program includes two years in the UC Irvine-CHOC Pediatric Residency Program, followed by a three-year residency in child neurology. Applications must be submitted to the Child Neurology Residency Program and the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency categorical program. Candidates invited for interviews will meet with faculty representatives of the Pediatric Residency Program and the Child Neurology Program. There are two positions open each year.
UCI-CHOC Child Neurology Fellowship
Dr. Maija Steenari, CHOC pediatric neurologist and fellowship program director, explains more about the program.
How to Apply
The Child Neurology Residency Program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are accepted only through NRMP’s Electronic Residency Application Service, also called ERAS®.
Applications must be submitted to both the UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency Program and the UCI Child Neurology Residency Program.
Residency applicants must provide:
- A dean’s letter (MSPE) from your medical school.
- Three letters of recommendation. We prefer one letter from a neurology faculty member who worked closely with you as well as two letters from a faculty member of your choosing.
- Personal Statement
- Medical school transcript
- USMLE Step I score (required)
- USMLE Step II CK and CS scores or COMLEX Level 2 score is required to begin the residency training programs. Submitting score reports prior to the rank list deadline is highly. We also prefer applicants who passed their USMLE or COMLEX examinations on the first attempt.
Application Deadlines
The deadline to submit ERAS applications for the Child Neurology Residency Program is December 1. However, we recommend applying by early October, as interview slots may be limited. Once your completed application is submitted, it will be forwarded for review by the selection committee.
Selected applicants will be contacted to arrange interviews.
All interviews are scheduled through the Thalamus website.
Questions? Please email [email protected]
Learn more about the categorical pediatric residency program and UC Irvine salary and benefits here.when you are in pain.
Didactics
- Monday morning report — 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
- Tuesday Neuroradiology (2nd/4th week of month) –8:30 a.m.
- Wednesday Noon lecture series — 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday Case Conference — 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (3x/month)
- Thursday Journal Club — 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (monthly)
- Thursday Professor Rounds — 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Fellows’ Core Curriculum series (monthly)Friday UCI grand rounds — 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
- Friday Epilepsy Surgery Conference – 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Division-wide research updates (quarterly)
- Pediatric Stroke Case review (quarterly)
- Child Neurology Morbidity and Mortality Conference (quarterly)
- Multidisciplinary Concussion/Traumatic Brain Injury Meeting (quarterly)
- Tumor Board (weekly)
*Didactics are weekly unless otherwise specified
Program Administration
Rachel Pearson, MD – Program Director, UC-Irvine Child Neurology Residency Program
Janetta Arellano, MD and Adam Kalawi, MD – Associate Program Directors, UC-Irvine Child Neurology Residency Program
Stephanie Dela Bretonier – Coordinator, UCI Child Neurology Residency Program.
Previous Graduates
Divya Gupta, MD, 2024
Fellowship – Sleep Medicine at Stanford, Standford, California
Maggie Schwieg, MD, 2024
Fellowship – Neuromuscular at UCLA, Los Angeles California
Zurisandai Gonzales, MD, 2023
Fellowship – Neuromuscular at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
Janetta Arellano, MD, 2022
Pediatric Subspecialty Faculty (PSF), CHOC, Orange, California
Tuong-VI Tran, MD, 2022
Fellowship – Fellowship – Clinical Neurophysiology – UC-Irvine and CHOC, Orange, California
David Adams, MD, 2021
Fellowship – Fellowship – Epilepsy – UC-Irvine and CHOC, Orange, California
Genevieve Cruz, MD, 2021
Grotenhuis Pediatric Clinic, Santa Barbara, California (private practice)
Virginia Liu, MD, 2020
Fellowship – Epilepsy – UC-San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Desiree Levyim, MD, 2019
West Hills Neurology Clinic, West Hills, California (private practice)
Rachel Pearson, MD, 2019 graduate
Fellowship in Neuro Trauma at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Desiree Levyim, MD, 2019 graduate
Locum Tenans, Sacramento and Long Beach, California
LeAnn Hoang, MD, 2018 graduate
Progressive Neurology & Sleep Medicine Associates, Riverside, California
Rita Marshall, MD, 2018 graduate
Pediatric Neurology private practice, Kaiser Permanente, Fontana, California