UCSD/Scripps Health Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program

Thank you for your interest in the UCSD/Scripps Health Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program.

We are proud to continue a long tradition of training excellence, starting at San Diego Hospice in 2000, followed by ACGME-accreditation of our program in 2008 when Scripps Mercy Hospital partnered with San Diego Hospice as the sponsoring institution. In 2013, Scripps Mercy Hospital became the primary teaching site for the fellowship, and in 2015 the program transitioned to the UCSD Graduate Medical Education Department. Through our shared history, we have graduated over 140 fellows to date.

In a unique partnership, UCSD and Scripps Health share responsibility for the fellows, with trainees spending equal time in both institutions with all the benefits of both institutions. We are also pleased to be partnering with The Elizabeth Hospice and Sharp Hospice to provide excellent training during our hospice rotations. Our combined faculty is thrilled to welcome your application to our program.

Our goal is to provide you the very best in HPM education, with close attention to your clinical, communication and teaching skills, as well as your personal and professional growth. Our interdisciplinary faculty is deeply committed to the future of our field and your development. You will have the opportunity to train in multiple settings, including UCSD hospitals in La Jolla and Hillcrest, Scripps Health hospitals, Rady Children’s Hospital, UCSD and Scripps outpatient palliative care clinics, Sharp Hospice houses, long-term care facilities, and in the community.

San Diego is a fantastic place to live and train, with access to the ocean, desert and mountains all within a few hours away. It is a diverse, welcoming city, and we think you will find entertainment, outdoor activities and neighborhoods to suit your preference.

Quality of life is important to our patients and to us, and San Diego provides ample opportunity for exploration and relaxation in your free time.

Please take a look at our program, and please contact us with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Toluwalasé “Lasé” Ajayi, MD, and Holly Yang, MD

Program Directors

UCSD/Scripps Health Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

To acquire the education and training needed to effectively care for people with serious or life-threatening illnesses, clinical rotations provide trainees with opportunities to: 

• Participate as an integral member of interdisciplinary care teams
• Develop and manage patient care plans
• Facilitate continuity of care

View the 2024-2025 fellow rotation schedule (PDF, 100 KB).

Fellows participate in four-hour weekly educational conferences to build their foundation of HPM knowledge, as well as grow their teaching and presentation skills with mentorship and feedback. Didactic topics include: 

• Comprehensive, complex symptom management
• Communication skills education in small group role play
• Teamwork and leadership
• Psychosocial and spiritual care
• Professional development and teaching skills

Fellows will have the opportunity to learn and teach in special sessions focused on: 

• Quality improvement
• Journal club
• Formal in-depth presentations on HPM topics of their interest

Fellows also have protected time for a weekly fellow process group to help build community, resilience and peer support skills.

The UCSD/Scripps hospice and palliative medicine faculty is dedicated to preparing physicians to competently work in a variety of palliative care and hospice settings, while taking an interdisciplinary approach to provide compassionate care.

The faculty is comprised of physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers and other health care providers.

Our physician faculty includes: 

• Toluwalasé “Lasé” Ajayi, MD (Program Director, UCSD)
• Holly Yang, MD (Program Director, Scripps Health)
• Enma Alvarado, MD
• Kimberly Bower, MD
• Laurence Boggeln, MD 
• Heather Bruner, MD
• Gary Buckholz, MD
• Alexa Chavez, MD 
• Sonya Christianson, MD
• Rachel Cohn, MD
• Ami Doshi, MD
• Kyle Edmonds, MD
• Johanna Estrada, MD 
• Sarah Evans, MD
• Frank Ferris, MD
• Avnish Gill, MD
• Ruth Goodson, MD 
• Jeremy Hirst, MD
• Youngho “Paul” Kim, MD
• Vishva Lakshman, MD
• Guiyu “Lutetia” Li, MD
• Alexander Madonis, MD
• Krishelle Marc-Aurele, MD
• Paula Mesarwi, MD
• William “Bill” Mitchell, MD
• Cherine Moazam, DO 
• Robert “Clint” Morehead, MD
• Mike Montazeri, MD
• Tamara Rubenzik, MD
• Negin Salimi, DO
• Mayra Sanchez, MD
• Stephanie Schmitt, MD
• Jaime Sellers, MD
• Kira Skavinski, DO
• Elizabeth Sophy, MD
• David Tran, MD
• Charles von Gunten, MD
• Greg Winter, MD
• Kathryn Winters, MD
• Kevin Yang, MD 
• Heidi Yeung, MD
• Stephanie Yoon, MD

Fellows in the hospice and palliative care program have previously studied across the country and right here in San Diego. Their diverse backgrounds and interests are building the future of palliative medicine and hospice care.

Anna Astashchanka, MD

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of California, San Diego

Julia Bu, MD

Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of California, San Diego

Lakshmi Kirkire, MD

Emergency Medicine Residency, Johns Hopkins 

Megan Lau, MD

Internal Medicine Residency, University of California, San Diego

Vivian Okonta, DO, MPH

Family Medicine Residency, University of California, Irvine

Matthew Schoen, MD

Emergency Medicine Residency, Stanford

Nicholas Tom, MD

Internal Medicine Residency, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland

Julia Wilkins, MD

Family Medicine Residency, University of California, San Diego

Annual salary for the academic year is consistent with UCSD PGY-4 salary. For the 2024-2025 academic year, UCSD PGY-4 salary is $95,549.

An additional stipend is available for your medical license fees and an education stipend of $750.

An optional retirement account is also available.

Insurance

Malpractice insurance is provided. Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance plans for fellows and their families are reviewed at orientation.

Counseling service

UC San Diego Healer Education Assessment and Referral (HEAR) Program offers education, anonymous stress and depression screening, referral and support to all UC San Diego Health learners and workers. In addition, HEAR offers short-term, no-cost, confidential counseling for residents and fellows and individual “check-in” meetings with trainees and non-GME physicians.

Vacation leave

Fellows receive 20 working days of paid vacation.

Sick leave

Leave for illness, family medical emergencies, maternity/paternity is allotted per UC San Diego policy.

Medical library

All fellows have access to the medical libraries at UCSD and at Scripps Mercy Hospital via their identification badge. In addition, there are online journals and links to UpToDate, DynaMed, PsycINFO, Embase, AccessMedicine, Cochrane Library, and PubMed.

For additional information on benefits, please review the benefits page and visit the UCSD policy documents for incoming trainees.

This fellowship will participate in the National Resident Match Program (NRMP) Specialties Matching Service for the 2025-2026 academic year. Applications will be accepted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). 

Please look for us and apply using “University of California (San Diego) Medical Center” as the program name.

We will be accepting applications through Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, or until our interview slots are full. It is best to apply as early as possible to allow sufficient time to review your application for consideration of an interview and scheduling of an interview.

Match participation timeline*

ERAS opens for applicants: July 3, 2024

ERAS opens for programs: July 17, 2024

NRMP registration opens: August 21, 2024

Rank list opens: September 25, 2024

Rank list deadline: November 20, 2024

Match day: December 4, 2024

Current residents as well as mid-career physicians who are candidates to be board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine after completion of their training are eligible for the program and encouraged to apply. 

International medical graduates should ensure that they meet all criteria for medical licensure as listed on the Medical Board of California website prior to applying, as we are unable to accept applicants who cannot be licensed in California. We do not accept applicants on a J-1 Visa who do not have a current California medical license.

Specialties that are eligible for board certification in HPM include:

• Anesthesia
• Emergency medicine
• Family medicine
• Internal medicine
• Neurology
• Obstetrics and gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Psychiatry
• Radiology
• Surgery

We will be conducting virtual interviews this year per AAHPM guidance. As we are unable to welcome you to “America's Finest City” in person, we hope you will enjoy the videos from the Graduate Medical Education departments of both UC San Diego and Scripps Mercy Hospital to get a sense of our medical community.

• Watch the UCSD Graduate Medical Education Virtual Tour
• Watch the Scripps Mercy Hospital Graduate Medical Education Virtual Tour

To learn more about the UCSD/Scripps Health Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program, contact Ellen Mackall at emackall@health.ucsd.edu.