Pediatric Track Overview

The pediatric track within the Hospice & Palliative Medicine fellowship at UT Health San Antonio integrates in‑depth pediatric experiences with the adult palliative curriculum. Training emphasizes complex pediatric care, particularly for children with medical fragility, and prepares fellows to provide continuity of care for these patients and their families.

Program Structure

UT Health San Antonio maintains a three‑pronged pediatric palliative program that includes outpatient, inpatient, and hospice services. The outpatient complex care clinic combines primary care for medically fragile children with outpatient palliative care, giving fellows ongoing longitudinal clinic exposure. Fellows develop care plans that address condition‑specific primary care needs while considering the family context and quality of life.

Fellows split inpatient clinical time between pediatric and adult palliative services, and graduates are expected to be competent in addressing the needs of medically complex children as they transition toward adulthood. Pediatric track fellows also master adult palliative competencies relevant to the HPM board exam.

The pediatric program includes an expanding Perinatal Palliative program that supports expectant mothers from antenatal diagnosis through delivery and neonatal hospitalization; follow‑up occurs in hospice or clinic settings if appropriate.

Fellows rotate with a community hospice agency to gain experience in interdisciplinary hospice care for both pediatric and adult patients.

This track is interdisciplinary: fellows train alongside non‑physician colleagues in social work, psychology, chaplaincy, pharmacy, and nursing and participate in collaborative case management.

Research Expectations

The program emphasizes scholarly activity. Each fellow is matched with a faculty mentor and is expected to develop at least one scholarly project, with the aim of submitting an abstract to the AAHPM Annual Assembly and other appropriate conferences. The curriculum includes four weeks of protected research time, which incorporates a two‑week formal research training course in the fall. Additional elective research blocks are available, and every fellow completes a quality improvement project.

Curriculum and Schedule

- Didactics: Twice‑weekly lectures are delivered to adult and pediatric fellows from all disciplines. A longitudinal ethics course is part of the curriculum.
- OSCE: All fellows participate in an HPM‑focused OSCE at the start of the academic year.

Sample Block Schedule

| Block | Rotation |
|---:|---|
| Block 1 | Pediatric Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) |
| Block 2 | Adult Inpatient Hospice Service (VA) |
| Block 3 | Research Course / Independent Research |
| Block 4 | Adult Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) / Pediatric Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) |
| Block 5 | Adult Inpatient Palliative Service (VA) |
| Block 6 | Adult Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) / Pediatric Comprehensive Care Clinic |
| Block 7 | Adult Inpatient Palliative Service (VA) |
| Block 8 | Adult Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) / Pediatric Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) |
| Block 9 | Pediatric Comprehensive Care Clinic |
| Block 10 | Community Hospice* |
| Block 11 | Pediatric Palliative Care Electives |
| Block 12 | Pediatric Inpatient Palliative Service (UH) |

*Note: Pediatric hospice experiences are longitudinal throughout the year; fellows complete one month of adult community hospice time.

How to Apply

Applicants must have completed an ACGME‑accredited residency in Pediatrics prior to starting this fellowship. Accepted immigration statuses include U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and J‑1 visa holders.

Apply through ERAS. Required documents:

- Current curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation (one must be from your residency program director)
- USMLE transcript
- ECFMG certificate (if applicable)

ERAS opens in mid‑July for positions that start July 1. Interview invitations are extended following review of complete applications; interviews typically run August through early November.

This track participates in the NRMP. NRMP number: 1722540F0

Key Contacts

| Name & Title | Email | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Barker, DO — Program Director | [email protected] | 210.617.5311 |
| Anjuli Vasquez, MD — Associate Program Director | [email protected] | 210.617.5311 |
| Melida Juarez‑Briggs, MD — Associate Program Director | [email protected] | 201.617.5311 |
| Melissa Welch — Senior Program Coordinator | [email protected] | 210.617.5311 |

Additional pediatric palliative faculty:

| Name & Title | Email |
|---|---|
| Glen Medellin, MD — Pediatric Palliative Faculty | [email protected] |
| Hema Navaneethan, MD — Pediatric Palliative Faculty | [email protected] |
| Pat DeForest, DO — Pediatric Palliative Faculty | [email protected] |