UCI Spine Surgery Fellowship

Incoming Class of 2028

Alexander Lopez, MD

Current Residency: Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine
Emmanuel Arhewoh, MD

Current Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan
Jacob Ball, MD

Current Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Southern California

Current Fellows - Class of 2027

Ian Jarin, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Westchester Medical Center
Isabel Alvarez, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Hirofumi Kusumoto, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Class of 2026

Alexander Nazareth, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Current Practice: Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, P.A.
University of California-Irvine spine fellowship offers a high volume, diverse training year with a truly integrated neurosurgical and orthopaedic spine department. The diversity of cases from unilateral biportal endoscopic cases to complex revision, trauma, tumor and deformity has been fantastic. Furthermore there is ample exposure to enabling technologies while building a foundation in traditional free hand and fluoro based techniques. All of the faculty are deeply invested in fellow education and I look forward to continued mentorship as I begin practice. There are numerous opportunities for research, international clinical experiences and conference attendance. Has been a truly incredible year at UCI!
Alan Santiago, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
Current Practice: Star Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
The UCI Spine Fellowship is truly one that has provided me with invaluable professional, clinical, technical, and personal growth. From the beginning to the end of the year, there’s an unwavering interest from all faculty to mentor, teach and prepare their fellows for their individual careers following the completion of the fellowship. The breadth, volume and diversity of cases is not something left to be desired, as throughout the year, fellows are exposed to numerous pathologies and surgical techniques, which goes hand in hand with the progressive autonomy in performing surgical cases, allowing the fellows’ confidence to grow exponentially. These experiences are further enhanced by having mentors and faculty that are truly excellent clinicians and surgeons, and better yet, amazing individuals who seek to support and encourage their fellows in all aspects. I can only sum up my year at UCI as extremely rewarding, transformative, and priceless. I am truly appreciative of all faculty, and I will always cherish and look back to their mentorship, teaching and shared experiences, as I progress through my career.
Jason Horowitz, MD

Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Saint Louis University
Current Practice: Washington University
The UCI Spine Fellowship offers comprehensive training in a friendly environment. The combined and collaborative Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery program features a high-volume, well-balanced caseload, including degenerative, deformity, trauma and tumor cases. Each faculty member's practice fills a different niche and presents a unique training opportunity and perspective for the fellows. A very broad range of techniques and technologies are taught, including free-hand, navigation, robotic and dual portal endoscopic techniques. Frequent travel for courses and meetings is supported and encouraged. The location in Southern California offers year-round sunshine, an incredible variety of outdoor activities and close proximity to educational courses.

Class of 2025

Emily Mills, MD

Residency: Orthopedic Surgery, University of Southern California
Current Practice: University of California, Irvine
My spine fellowship at UC Irvine was an incredibly rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to train with an exceptional group of attendings who are not only outstanding surgeons, but also the most supportive and collegial mentors I have worked with. The fellowship provided a high degree of autonomy and a broad operative experience, spanning degenerative conditions, complex deformity, spine trauma, tumor, and infection. I felt extremely well prepared to begin independent practice at the end of the year.

Class of 2024

Rafael Garcia de Oliveira, MD

Residency: Orthopedic Surgery, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Current Practice: Virginia Commonwealth University
UC Irvine Spine fellowship offers a very well-rounded and truly Ortho/Neuro combined program. It brings a good balance and a high volume of degenerative, trauma, tumor, and deformity cases. The faculty have different focuses and practices that enrich the training and expose the fellow to different ways of performing multiple procedures. They are all great mentors, very respectful, and entirely concentrated on providing the best training possible throughout the year. There is a fair exposure to enabling technology like robots, navigation, and modern MIS procedures, such as endoscopic spine surgery and also to traditional open, free-hand, and fluoroscopy-based techniques. The progressive and constant increase in autonomy prepares the fellow to have confidence in starting their career both in academics or private practice. There are plenty of opportunities for courses, congresses, and cadaver labs during the year.
Vincent S. Miseo, MD

Residency: Orthopedic Surgery, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Current Practice: Virginia Commonwealth University
I have been impressed with the diversity of cases I’ve gotten to take part in this year, from complex revision deformity, tumor and trauma to outpatient endoscopic spine surgery. Working with both neurosurgery and orthopedic spine surgeons has offered a variety of perspectives on operative and nonoperative management throughout the entire spine. The attendings here are not only great surgeons, but amazing mentors who I will be able to rely on as I progress through my career.
Neda Farbod, MD

Class of 2023

Stephen Albano, MD

Residency: Neurosurgery, Desert Regional Medical Center
Current Practice: Private Practice
I am grateful to have studied at the UCI combined neurosurgery orthopedics spine surgery fellowship. Having spent 7 years in neurosurgery, I wanted to see the thought processes and techniques from both an orthopedic and neurosurgery standpoint. The best part of the program is by far the people. The team is invested in helping patients and their commitment to their patients and their craft can't help but set an example of excellence for trainees. I truly enjoyed and valued the time I invested in the UCI spine fellowship.
Taha Faruqi, MD

Spine Fellowship

Academic Experience

The UCI Spine Surgery Fellowship is a one-year, combined orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery training program designed to prepare three fellows each year for independent spine practice. Fellows refine, integrate, and advance the clinical and operative competencies through broad exposure to spinal disorders from the occiput to the pelvis.

The clinical experience encompasses degenerative disease, trauma, deformity, tumor, revision surgery, and athletic spinal conditions. Fellows participate in both operative and non-operative care and gain experience with open, minimally invasive, and endoscopic approaches. Instrumentation is performed using free-hand anatomic and navigation-assisted techniques, with substantial exposure to anterior, direct lateral, prone lateral, and posterior interbody fusion procedures.

Training occurs within both the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Neurological Surgery. Fellows work closely with spine faculty, orthopaedic and neurosurgery residents, advanced practice providers, neuroradiology faculty, nonclinical research fellows, and the broader research team in inpatient and outpatient settings.

Program at a Glance

Program Detail	UCI Spine Surgery Fellowship
Number of positions	3 fellows per year
Duration	One year (August-July)
Operative care	85%
Non-operative care	15%
Program director	Sohaib Hashmi, MD
Chair / Chief of Spine Service	Nitin Bhatia, MD
Academic departments	Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery
Research requirement	At least one publishable research project

Clinical Exposure

The fellowship provides a balanced experience across spinal regions and diagnostic categories:

Spinal Region	Exposure	Diagnostic Category	Exposure
Lumbar	40%	Degenerative	40%
Cervical	30%	Deformity	25%
Thoracic	30%	Trauma	15%
		Tumor	15%
		Pediatric	5%

Our Team

Fellows train with eight core spine surgery faculty members across orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery:

Faculty	Program Role / Department
Nitin Bhatia, MD	Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery; Chief of Spine Service
Sohaib Hashmi, MD	Fellowship Director; Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
Yu-Po Lee, MD	Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
Don Park, MD	Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
Hao-Hua Wu, MD	Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
Emily Mills, MD	Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
Michael Oh, MD	Neurological Surgery
Hansen Bow, MD, PhD	Neurological Surgery

Rotation Schedule

Each fellow rotates through three complementary spine services in two-month blocks. This structure provides repeated exposure to each service over the fellowship year and supports graduated autonomy, continuity, and broad faculty mentorship.

Spine 1: Drs. Bhatia and Lee
Spine 2: Drs. Wu, Mills, and Hashmi
Spine 3: Drs. Park, Oh, Bow, and Golshani

Months	Fellow 1	Fellow 2	Fellow 3
Aug-Sep	Spine 1	Spine 2	Spine 3
Oct-Nov	Spine 2	Spine 3	Spine 1
Dec-Jan	Spine 3	Spine 1	Spine 2
Feb-Mar	Spine 1	Spine 2	Spine 3
Apr-May	Spine 2	Spine 3	Spine 1
Jun-Jul	Spine 3	Spine 1	Spine 2

Educational Schedule

Weekly indications and preoperative/postoperative conference with spine surgery and neuroradiology faculty.
Fellow-led spine didactic lectures for medical students and residents twice each month.
Ongoing participation in the education of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery residents and medical students.
Participation in local, regional, national, and international conferences and courses.

Program Benefits

Combined orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery training that integrates complementary approaches to complex spinal pathology.
Comprehensive experience from the occiput to the pelvis across degenerative disease, deformity, trauma, tumor, revision surgery, and pediatric pathology.
High operative exposure, with 85% of fellowship activity devoted to operative care and 15% to non-operative care.
Training across a Level I trauma hospital and an orthopaedic and spine surgery tertiary hospital.
Experience with open, minimally invasive, endoscopic, free-hand, and navigation-assisted surgical techniques.
AO Spine Fellowship Site, with opportunities for professional development, education, scholarship, and connection with the broader spine community.
Close faculty mentorship and collaboration with residents, advanced practice providers, neuroradiology faculty, and dedicated research personnel.

Research and Teaching

Research and education are integral components of the UCI Spine Surgery Fellowship. Each fellow is expected to complete at least one publishable research project during the fellowship year. Fellows receive support from nonclinical research fellows and the program's research team and may participate in ongoing clinical, translational, and collaborative research initiatives.

Fellows also develop as educators by leading spine didactic sessions twice monthly and teaching orthopaedic surgery residents, neurosurgery residents, and medical students in conferences, clinics, and operative settings.

Training Locations

UCI Medical Center, Orange (101 The City Dr S, Orange, CA 92868)
UCI Health Irvine (19210 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA 92612)
Potential additional affiliated UCI Health clinical sites, as assigned by the program.

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be board-eligible or board-certified graduates of an accredited orthopaedic surgery or neurosurgery residency program in the United States, be in good standing, and be eligible for an unrestricted California medical license.

Contact Us

Contact	Information
Program Director	Sohaib Hashmi, MD
Program Coordinator	Amanda Cabatay
Department	Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Irvine
Address	101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
Phone	714-456-7513
Fax	714-456-8971
Email	acabatay@hs.uci.edu

UCI Spine Surgery Fellowship