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Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship

Welcome to the Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship at the UC San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego. Our program is designed to train future leaders in Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) by providing advanced clinical, educational, research, and administrative experience.

 For more information and educational resources

Institution Overview

Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego is a 551-bed pediatric care facility and the largest provider of comprehensive pediatric medical services in San Diego, Southern Riverside, and Imperial counties. It is the region’s only hospital dedicated exclusively to pediatric healthcare and the only designated Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the area.

Fellowship Overview

We offer two distinct training pathways in Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound:

  1. Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound (PEM-US) Fellow
    • A dedicated 1-year advanced fellowship in Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound
    • Designed for Pediatric Emergency Medicine–trained physicians seeking focused expertise in ultrasound education, administration, and research
    • Fellows receive advanced training, lead QA sessions, participate in national conferences, and take on leadership projects
  2. PEM POCUS Track Fellow
    • A 2-year integrated POCUS training pathway embedded within the Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship
    • Offers progressive longtidunal training in core and advanced ultrasound applications
    • Includes dedicated scan shifts, structured didactics, research opportunities, and involvement in faculty QA and credentialing activities

Both tracks are designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound.

  • Program Type: Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Fellowship Established: 2016
  • Department: Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego
  • Annual ED Volume: ~100,000 pediatric visits

Our fellowship offers rigorous training across three key domains:

  1. Didactic Education
    • Hands-on, high-volume scanning experience
    • Weekly POCUS lectures and QA sessions
    • Adult ultrasound rotations at UCSD Medical Centers to ensure comprehensive POCUS proficiency
  2. Research
    • Active participation in local and multi-center ultrasound research
    • Opportunities to lead or collaborate on original projects
    • Support for abstract presentation and manuscript development
    • Development of ultrasound-based research or quality improvement
  3. Administration
    • Training in program development, credentialing, QA, and faculty education
    • Involvement in both pediatric and adult ultrasound program operations
    • Administrative management of an academically based ultrasound program

Equipment & Resources

Fellows have access to a diverse fleet of ultrasound machines across clinical sites, enabling both high-fidelity imaging and portable flexibility:

  • 2 Sonosite X-porte – High-end cart-based systems ideal for teaching and image review
  • 1 Sonosite Edge – Portable and durable, ideal for fast-paced ED settings
  • 3 Sonosite iViz – Handheld units for bedside and procedure-based scanning
  • 2 Butterfly iQ – App-based handheld devices with cloud storage and tele-ultrasound capabilities

This variety ensures fellows are proficient across platforms commonly used in both academic and community settings.

Faculty

The fellowship is supported by a diverse and experienced group of ultrasound-trained faculty.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Faculty (Department of Pediatrics)

  • Atim Ekpenyong, M.D. – Director, Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound
  • Mylinh Nguyen, M.D. – Program Director, Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Kathryn Pade, M.D. - Program Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship
  • Shahfar Khan, M.D. - Assistant Program Director, Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Nicole Barbera, D.O. - Assistant Program Director, Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Annie McEvoy, M.D.
  • Carolina Vega, M.D.

Adult Emergency Medicine Faculty (Department of Emergency Medicine)

  • Colleen Campbell, M.D., RDMS
  • Amir Aminlari, M.D.
  • Anthony Medak, M.D.
  • Asia Takeuchim, M.D.