Overview
A one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship at a centre performing over 400 congenital heart operations a year with one of the largest paediatric heart transplant programmes.
The programme
- Focus
- Congenital cardiac
- Training type
- Clinical Fellowship
- Duration
- 1 year
- Start
- Institution policy (UCLA GME): appointments run 1 July to 30 June
- Positions
- Not stated on official page
- Accreditation
- ACGME-accredited
- Department
- Division of Cardiac Surgery
Eligibility and visa
- Eligibility
- Not stated on official page
- International applicants
- Institution policy (UCLA GME, ACGME programmes): IMGs eligible with ECFMG certification (USMLE Steps 1-2) or a full California licence; all IMG applicants must be reviewed by the GME office/DIO before an offer and must meet California licensure requirements to continue training
- Visa support
- Institution policy (UCLA GME, ACGME programmes): ECFMG-sponsored clinical J-1 is the preferred visa; H-1B considered only for US LCME/AOA graduates moving from F-1 OPT, trainees already in clinical training on H-1B with enough time left, or physicians of national/international renown (department-funded, case by case)
- Licence requirement
- Institution policy (UCLA GME): all residents/fellows must comply with Medical Board of California (or Osteopathic Board) licensure requirements - a PTL or full California licence - at appointment and reappointment; non-compliance means non-appointment; fellows from outside institutions must have passed all USMLE/COMLEX steps
How to apply
- Deadline
- Not stated on official page
- Application method
- Rolling applications and interviews; contact the programme coordinator
Funding
- Funding
- Institution policy (UCLA ACGME residents/fellows, CIR-SEIU contract): from 1 Sept 2026 PGY4 $108,102; PGY5 $111,894; PGY6 $115,477; PGY7 $118,801; PGY8 $124,242 (PGY1 $98,466); rising from 1 July 2027 (PGY4 $113,508); plus $8,000/yr Resident Enhancement Fund
Official sources
https://www.uclahealth.org/departments/surgery/thoracic-surgery-fellowship/fellowshipshttps://medschool.ucla.edu/ucla-gme-visa-policyhttps://medschool.ucla.edu/ucla-gme-international-medical-graduate-policyhttps://medschool.ucla.edu/education/medical-residencies-fellowships/graduate-medical-education/program-directors-and-coordinatorshttps://medschool.ucla.edu/education/medical-residencies-fellowships/incoming-residents/medical-resident-salary-benefitshttps://medschool.ucla.edu/education/medical-residencies-fellowships/incoming-residents/2026-2027-sample-agreement