About Our Fellowship
Next Opening: 2026-2027 (2 spots), 2027-2028 (2 spots) and 2028-2029 (1 spot)
Length: 1 year
Our ACGME accredited one-year program is designed to offer comprehensive training in pediatric and perinatal surgical pathology including cardiac pathology, genetic and metabolic diseases, transplant pathology, and pediatric neoplasia. Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Pathology receives over 20,000 specimens yearly including routine surgical, placenta, bone marrow, and cytology specimens. Furthermore, we have one of the highest volume pediatric solid organ transplant programs in the nation, including cardiac, pulmonary, liver and kidney transplantation.
In March of 2012, Texas Children’s Hospital opened the Pavilion for Women, a full-service hospital for women’s health with an estimated 4,500 annual deliveries. The Pavilion for Women has a thriving obstetric service in conjunction with the Texas Children’s Hospital Fetal Center for congenital malformations, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and maternal high-risk conditions. A wide scope of pediatric, perinatal, and fetal autopsies is available, both in-house and through our consultative services.
Fellows rotate through surgical pathology, neuropathology, autopsy and perinatal/placental pathology with at least two months of elective time. In addition, our program offers a unique experience on pediatric fine needle aspiration, including on-site adequacy assessment.
The combined faculty of 34 M.D.s and Ph.D.s provide expertise in all aspects of pediatric anatomic, clinical, and molecular pathology and includes reviewers for the Children’s Oncology Group (liver and rare tumors).
Fellows participate in the teaching programs of the Baylor Department of Pathology & Immunology, during which they supervise junior residents and medical students.
The pediatric pathology fellowship began in 1984 and was approved by the ACGME in 1992.
Stipends and Benefits
Visit the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences page on stipends and benefits for fellows.
Curriculum
Rotations happen on four-week blocks, referred to from now on as months. In general, the fellows will rotate through surgical pathology (6 blocks), autopsy service (3 blocks), placenta/perinatal pathology (1 block) and neuropathology (1 block).
At least 2 months of elective rotations are provided towards the end of the year with the goal of allowing the fellow to tailor elective time towards possible future needs. Elective time can include additional time in one of the core rotations or alternatively, other rotations available include hematopathology, liver and GI pathology, renal pathology, transplant pathology, molecular pathology, ophthalmic pathology and research.
This general outline may change depending on the fellow's competency and educational needs.
Fellow’s Conference: Occurs on a weekly basis on Thursdays at noon. It is a fellow-run conference and topics rotate to include:
- Interesting case conference: interesting surgical pathology cases are brought up and discussed.
- Autopsy: the gross and microscopic findings of interesting/challenging autopsy cases are presented with discussion of clinicopathologic correlations and cause of death.
- Journal club: recent research articles pertinent to the field of pediatric pathology are presented and critically discussed.
- Anatomic Pathology/Molecular Pathology conference: Cases requiring correlation with molecular pathology findings are discussed with our Molecular Pathology colleagues.
Surgery/Radiology/Pathology Correlation Conference (twice per month, Tuesdays at 8 a.m.): This conference is run by pediatric surgery residents/fellows. Three cases of their choosing are presented from the surgical, radiologic and pathologic perspective. Pediatric pathology fellows are in charge of presenting the pathologic findings.
There are numerous additional conferences that the fellow is highly encouraged to attend which include:
- Pediatric Grand Rounds (weekly, Friday at 8:30 a.m.)
- Renal Pathology Conference (every other week)
- Liver Pathology Conference (monthly)
- Pulmonary Radiology-Pathology Conference (monthly)
- Heart Transplant Conference (monthly)
- Tumor boards (thyroid, liver, soft tissue)
- M&M conferences
The fellow will take call every three-four weeks, for a week at a time under the supervision of attending on call.
Many of our faculties are actively involved in research projects within our department and in collaboration with other clinical departments. Ample opportunity is provided to participate in any of these endeavors. In addition, we welcome and support research endeavors that are within the fellow’s interests.
Admissions
Our program accepts two fellowship positions every year. Applicants must have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited Anatomic or Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency program. Successful completion of all USMLE/COMLEX exams is required.
All application materials, including recommendation letters, must be submitted online, and include the following:
- Completed online House Staff Application
- Letter of Intent
- Curriculum Vitae
- Two to three Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation should be addressed to: Nahir Cortes-Santiago, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology & Immunology
Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Program Director
Texas Children's Hospital
6621 Fannin St. AB1195
Houston, TX 77030
Interviews typically take place 18-20 months prior to fellowship year. We are currently accepting applications for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. A remote/virtual interview is offered to those whose credentials are suitable.
Nahir Cortes-Santiago, M.D., Ph.D. – Program Director
nxcortes@texaschildrens.org
Kudakwashe R. Chikwava, M.D. – Associate program director
krchikwa@texaschildrens.org
Rosario Guzman – Fellowship Coordinator
rosariog@bcm.edu / rsguzman@texaschildrens.org
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