Important Update: New Program Name & Identification Number
The Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Fellowship Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals is now officially sponsored by the UCSF School of Medicine through UCSF Graduate Medical Education.
While our program name and identification numbers have changed, the fellowship remains the same. This transition only affects administrative details and does not impact the structure or content of the fellowship. As such, our curriculum, training locations, faculty, and other elements of our program have not changed.
Please use the following new program information when applying:
- New Program Name: University of California (San Francisco) School of Medicine Program
- Specialty: Pediatric Emergency Medicine (Emergency Medicine)
- New ACGME #: 1140500001
- New NRMP #: 1062114F0
We recommend searching by the new program name or ACGME number to ensure you find the correct listing. Our program’s previous name (provided only for reference) may now appear as closed or non-participating in application portals: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Program
As a reminder, you will need to locate our program in the following two systems:
- ERAS: This is where you submit your application and where we review and schedule interviews, etc.
- NRMP: This is where you register and submit your rank list to match with us.
If you have any questions or difficulty locating our program in these systems, please don’t hesitate to contact Tito Lemus, program coordinator, and Dr. Heidi Werner, program director.
Thank you for your interest in the Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Fellowship Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. Our PEM fellowship has been training leaders in PEM for more than 40 years, initially at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital - Oakland (formerly Children's Hospital Oakland), and more recently at two main sites, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital - Oakland (UCSF BCH-Oakland) and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco (UCSF BCH-SF).
Program Directors
Heidi Werner, MD, MSHPEd
Assistant Program Director
Ashkon Shaahinfar, MD, MPH
Program Coordinator
Tito Lemus
Faculty
More than 45 full- and part-time attendings, board certified in PEM, and appointed by the University of California, San Francisco and BCH Children's Hospitals (Oakland and San Francisco)
Number of fellows: 6
Candidates are accepted upon completion of training in ABP- or ABEM-approved programs in either Pediatrics or Emergency Medicine
Duration:
Three years for pediatrics trained PEM fellows and two (or three) years for emegency medicine trained PEM fellows
Application Deadline:
August 31, 2025 - Application via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
Applicant Interviews:
September and October 2025
Life of a fellow: Fellows work clinically in the ED each month during fellowship, give didactic conferences, and pursue scholarly projects, advanced course work, and QI efforts. This mirrors the schedule of a UCSF PEM faculty member.
Fellows participate in many different rotations in 4-week "blocks" during their PEM fellowship. Fellows spend 75% of their PEM time at UCSF BCH-Oakland and 25% of their time at UCSF BCH-SF.
Three Year Curriculum | Pediatric Residency Graduates
Year One
UCSF BCH-Oakland PEM
(2.5 blocks)
UCSF BCH-SF PEM
(2 blocks)
Research
(2.5 blocks)
Elective
(1 block)
Highland Adult EM
(1 block)
PICU
(1 block)
Anesthesia
(0.5 block)
Child Abuse
(0.5 block)
Toxicology
(1 block)
Year Two
UCSF BCH-Oakland PEM
(3 blocks)
UCSF BCH-SF PEM
(2 blocks)
Research
(4 blocks)
Elective
(1 block)
UCSF Parnassus Adult EM
(1 block)
Trauma
(1 block)
Year Three
UCSF BCH-Oakland PEM
(0.5 block)
UCSF BCH-SF PEM
(2 blocks)
Research
(7 blocks)
Elective
(1 block)
Highland Adult EM
(1 block)
Anesthesia
(0.5 block)
Two Year Curriculum | Emergency Medicine Residency Graduates
Year One
UCSF BCH-Oakland PEM
(4 blocks)
UCSF BCH-SF PEM
(2 blocks)
Research
(1 block)
Elective
(1 block)
Subspecialty Clinics
(2 blocks)
PICU
(1 block)
Anesthesia
(0.5 block)
Child Abuse
(0.5 block)
Year Two
UCSF BCH-Oakland PEM
(5 blocks)
UCSF BCH-SF PEM
(2 blocks)
Research
(1 block)
Elective
(1.5 blocks)
Subspecialty Clinics
(2 blocks)
Anesthesia
(0.5 block)
Optional Year Three
The typical rotation schedule for an optional third year of training for Emergency Medicine-trained fellows include 13 blocks of Research with options for additional training opportunities
Current PEM Fellows
All applications to the PEM fellowship program are processed through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). Application and program information are available on the ERAS website.
Eligibility
Applicants must have satisfactorily completed a Pediatric or Emergency Medicine residency program in North America AND be board eligible prior to the start of the fellowship.
All applicants must also meet one or more of the following qualifications:
- Be a graduate of a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- Be a graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Be a graduate of a medical school outside of the United States who meets one or more of the following qualifications:
- Have a current valid ECFMG certificate
- Have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a U.S. licensing jurisdiction
Applications
Applications must include:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- 3 Letters of Recommendation (including a letter from the current program director)
- Passing scores on USMLE Steps I, II, and III
International medical graduate applications must also include:
- Copy of Green Card, J-1 Visa, or documentation of U.S. citizenship
- Valid ECFMG Certificate
- Evidence of previous training in the United States
- Letter from the Medical Board of California verifying qualification for licensure in the state
***Visas: Our department can sponsor J-1 visas but cannot sponsor H-1B visas
