University of California Davis Health Program

Program Identity & Fit

UC Davis is an academic, university-affiliated 5-year combined Pediatrics/Child Neurology program (2 years pediatrics, 3 years child neurology) with faculty subspecialty depth in epilepsy, neuroimmunology/demyelinating disease, headache, neurogenetics, leukodystrophy, and neonatal neurology, embedded in a tertiary academic medical center with active clinical trials (e.g., pediatric migraine, gene/cell therapy for epilepsy, myasthenia gravis). The program's stated mission explicitly foregrounds equity in healthcare delivery and serving a demographically diverse, underserved Sacramento-region population, while preparing residents for both academic and community independent practice and for subspecialty fellowship or research pathways. It is a newly established program (inaugural classes now reaching PGY-4), offering residents an unusually formative role in shaping culture and curriculum, with emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration (neurosurgery, neuroradiology, psychiatry, genetics) and mentorship toward leadership in academic or community settings. The program values resilience, advocacy orientation, and a collaborative, team-based approach over pure research productivity, though scholarly inquiry and lifelong learning are built into its aims.