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About

Program Description

The UCSF Headache Center and the UCSF Child & Adolescent Headache Program provide a one-year UCNS accredited Headache Medicine Fellowship Program with 2 tracks – Adult emphasis and Pediatric emphasis. The program offers both inpatient and outpatient headache medicine care, and encompasses management of patients with the full range of headache disorders. Pharmacological, nonpharmacological, behavioral, and injection techniques are taught and practiced.

In the adult emphasis track, interdisciplinary training is also done in conjunction with the UCSF Pain Medicine Center, the UCSF Pediatric Headache Center, the UCSF Neurorecovery Clinic, UCSF Neuroophthalmolgy, and UCSF Otoneurology. Fellows spend time in each of these settings depending on their interest. Fellows spend time in the UCSF Headache Inpatient Unit at Mt Zion-UCSF Hospital and care for outpatients in the UCSF Headache Center in the Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Fellows are active in leading the team in monthly Journal Club meetings and are encouraged to participate in ongoing or new clinical research projects. Fellows can engage in teaching neurology residents and UCSF medical students. Sponsored attendance at a regional and/or national Headache Society meeting is provided. Case conference is held weekly as is inpatient planning team conference. Fellow and Program Director meet weekly – biweekly.

In the pediatric emphasis track fellows see patients in the Pediatric Headache Center at the UCSF Mission Bay campus and also manage children and adolescents with headache disorders at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. They also have rotations in the adult headache clinic and gain exposure to procedures. Fellows will also have the opportunity to lead journal clubs, participate in monthly team meetings, engage in clinical research, and teach medical students and residents.

Mission

We aim to train future headache specialists in all aspects of headache medicine with the expectation that they will have all the tools needed to care for all types of headache disorders with the full range of pharmacological, injection-based and complementary techniques.

Details

Rotations in pediatric headache medicine (for adult track) and adult headache medicine (for pediatric track) are required. These generally occur during one half day per week for 3 months.

Elective are encouraged for fellows in the CSF Pain Medicine Center, the UCSF Neurorecovery Clinic, UCSF Neuroophthalmolgy, UCSF Otoneurology. These are also arranged longitudinally and can be planned for one half-day per week for 1-3 months.

Facilities/Training Sites

University of California, San Francisco, Mount Zion site, University of California, San Francisco, Parnassus site, and the UCSF Pediatric Headache Center at the Mission Bay site.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in UCSF's headache programs! Candidates must be eligible for a California medical license and have completed an accredited residency in one of the following programs: Adult Neurology, Child Neurology, Internal Medicine or Family Medicine. Unfortunately, we cannot accept visa candidates at this time. Those candidates interested in a 2026-2027 position should apply between March 1st and May 1st, 2025.

Please click here to apply: UCSF Headache Fellowship Application

Please also reference the American Headache Society Fellowship Page for more program information. The University of California is an AA/EEO employer, and the fellowship performs a holistic application review to fairly consider all applicants while emphasizing a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Program Leadership

Current Fellows

Kaitlin Keenan