Developmental Fellowship | UC Davis Department of Pediatrics

The overarching goal of the three-year Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) fellowship at UC Davis is to enhance the overall health and resiliency of children, adolescents and their families by training leaders in developmental behavioral pediatrics;

1) who understand the developmental, behavioral and psychosocial needs of children and families on an individual as well as public policy level;

2) who are skilled in collaborating across disciplines and systems of care at local, regional and national levels to provide and promote evidence-based, family centered, culturally competent and compassionate care; and

3) who contribute to advancing knowledge in the prevention and treatment of developmental behavioral disorders through research and teaching.

Our fellowship is one of twelve DBP training programs in the United States funded by the Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and a participating site in DBPNet, an MCHB funded national research network.

The UC Davis DBP fellowship is deeply embedded and aligned with the activities of the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (CEDD) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) at the UC Davis Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, an internationally renowned research and clinical center dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration to better understand causes and treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

Family-centered care is an essential component of our DBP training program. DBP fellows participate in a broad array of didactic, experiential, simulated and clinical interdisciplinary training experiences related to clinical assessment and diagnosis, research, program development and advocacy. The Baby Steps (NICU Follow-up) Clinic, Child Development Clinic, Feeding Clinic, Fragile X Clinic, Genetics Clinic, 22q Healthy Minds Clinic, and Pediatric PM&R Clinic are all interdisciplinary clinics in which fellows participate.

Fellows participate in community projects in order to develop and practice skills in community engagement, needs assessment, advocacy, public policy, finance/budgeting, and program design, administration and evaluation. With the State Capitol less than five miles away from our medical center campus, we are in an ideal location to provide learning opportunities in state government systems, public policy, and advocacy.

A significant strength of our training program is our goal to train fellows to have the knowledge, attitudes and leadership skills to evaluate, design, implement and disseminate advances in research and policy that will shape the future of developmental behavioral pediatrics. Graduates from our fellowship are successfully practicing DBP in a variety of settings, including academic faculty, administrative leadership and policy development, state government and private practice.

The fellows are exposed throughout their three years of training at UC Davis and the MIND Institute, to nationally and internationally recognized leaders in translational research regarding the causes and treatments of NDD. Opportunities for collaborative and clinical research with investigators from the UC Davis main campus, as well as from the medical center campus are available, including the Department of Pediatrics, the MIND Institute, the Clinical Translational Science Center, the Center for Mind and Brain and the Center for Neuroscience. Interdisciplinary colleagues include nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, geneticists, dietitians, social workers, SLP, educators, PT, OT, and public health professionals.

Application Process

Eligible candidates must have completed training in an ACGME-accredited pediatrics residency program and hold a valid California medical license. Our program participates in the NRMP Match and uses ERAS for the evaluation of applicant's file and selection.

California Medical Board Licensing Requirements

All residents and fellows are REQUIRED to have a full and unrestricted California Medical License after they complete 36 months of any ACGME (or RCPSC, CFPC) program training.

For more information, visit our Graduate Medical Education CAMB info page.

IMG - Applying for a postgraduate position

Graduates of International Medical Schools must meet all California Medical Board licensing requirements for either a Post Graduate Training License (PTL) or a California Physician’s and Surgeon’s License, and any J-1 visa sponsorship requirements (if applicable).

Visas: A clinical J-1 visa is required for admission to UC Davis Health residency and fellowship training programs. The visa can only be sponsored by ECFMG, which requires passage of USMLE Steps 1 and 2. Applicants on a J-1 with a waiver from the Department of State (DOS) can only be accepted into our programs on an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or J-1 visa Physician Program.