Pediatric Residency Program Overview

Program Overview

Overview of the Pediatric Residency

Our Pediatric Residency Program offers a balanced and enriching experience, combining clinical training, educational conferences, procedural learning, and lifelong professional relationships.

Loyola University Medical Center is one of the few pediatric tertiary care centers serving the western suburbs of Chicago that hosts pediatric trainees, providing exposure to a diverse patient population in a high acuity setting.

A Supportive Close Knit Community

We pride ourselves on being a mid-sized program that fosters a strong sense of community. Residents work closely with faculty, allowing for meaningful mentorship and individualized guidance.

Program Size

10 categorical pediatric residents per year
4 combined medicine pediatrics residents per year

Clinical Training Environment

Training takes place at Loyola University Medical Center with dedicated pediatric services.

Facilities include:

30 bed Level III NICU
14 bed PICU
20 bed general pediatric unit
20 bed newborn nursery Baby Friendly program

Loyola Medicine is also a leader in burn trauma and emergency care.

Resident Schedules

Intern Year PGY1 Example Schedule

X+Y Model 4+2

Inpatient General Pediatrics 10 weeks
NICU 4 weeks
Newborn Nursery 4 weeks
Pediatric Emergency Medicine 4 weeks
Nights 4 weeks
Required electives including Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Adolescent and Mental Health
12 weeks individualized electives
Continuity clinic half day sessions

Time off includes four weeks vacation and five furlough days.

Education

Longitudinal Core Curriculum

18 month curriculum repeated twice
Includes wellness teaching and career planning

Didactic Schedule X+Y Model

Academic half day
Grand rounds Tuesdays
Noon conference - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Teaching Formats

Simulation Lab

Residents train at Loyola’s simulation center using high fidelity simulators such as SimBaby and SimJunior.

Training includes:

Bag mask ventilation
Intubation
Cardioversion and defibrillation
Airway management

Focus areas include teamwork communication and critical thinking.

Global Health Opportunities

Residents may participate in structured global health experiences supported by GME, including preparation modules and international electives focused on service and cultural humility.

Quality Improvement QI Project

All residents complete a longitudinal QI project with a faculty mentor.

Residents learn:

Peer review and medical record evaluation

Literature review and application
Analysis of adverse events
Systems based practice

Residents implement interventions using PDSA cycles and present results during PGY3.

Curriculum

Curriculum & Training

Our balanced X+Y curriculum integrates inpatient and outpatient experiences across general and subspecialty pediatrics, with flexibility to support individual career goals.

Education

Longitudinal Core Curriculum

18 month curriculum repeated twice
Includes wellness teaching and career planning

Didactic Schedule X+Y Model

Academic half day
Grand rounds Tuesdays
Noon conference Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Teaching Formats

Simulation Lab

Residents train at Loyola’s simulation center using high fidelity simulators such as SimBaby and SimJunior.

Training includes:

Bag mask ventilation
Intubation
Cardioversion and defibrillation
Airway management

Focus areas include teamwork communication and critical thinking.

Global Health Opportunities

Residents may participate in structured global health experiences supported by GME, including preparation modules and international electives focused on service and cultural humility.

Research

O'Halloran CP, Franklin WH, Tannous P.
Intentional bioprosthetic valve ring fracture causing coronary artery compression during transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.
JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2024 Jan 22;17(2):307–309. doi:10.1016/j.jcin.2023.10.005. Epub 2023 Nov 22. PMID: 37999709.

Boyd B, Charnsangavej N.
Disability and accommodations.
In APPD PD Handbook. April 2024.

Marty D, Sorum K, Smith K, Nicoski P, Sayyed BA, Amin S.
Nosocomial infections in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Neoreviews. 2024 May 1;25(5):e254–e264.

Lawson AA, Franklin WH, Porta NFM, Nugent A, Hauck A.
An infant with high-output heart failure and pulmonary hypertension resulting from a giant cutaneous hemangioma.
Pediatr Cardiol. 2024 Jun 1.

Holthaus E, O'Neill M, Jeske W, DeChristopher P, Goodman J, Glynn L, Levin S, Muraskas J.
Endocan biomarker linking maternal obesity and pediatric obesity.
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2024 Jun.

O'Neil M, Demeulenaere SK, DeChristopher PJ, Holthaus E, Jeske W, Glynn L, Husain A, Muraskas J.
Syndecan 1 level and neonatal sepsis biomarker study.
Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2024 Jul Aug.

Jennings LN, Feffer M, Shahid R.
Emotional intelligence and resilience curriculum.
Adv Med Educ Pract. 2024 Nov 7.

Qureshi NK.
Catheter-associated bloodstream infections.
Rudolph’s Pediatrics. 24th ed. McGraw Hill. 2025.

Strutz S, Liang H, Carey K, Bashiri F and colleagues.
Machine learning for predicting critical events among hospitalized children.
JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1.

Carey H, Bansal S, O’Meara R.
Diabetes-specific social connection study.
Diabetes. 2025 Jun 20.

Thambyrajah S, Hansen R, Boyd B.
Unmasking SUNCT in a 10-year-old.
Contemporary Pediatrics. 2025 Jun.

Folga B, Shahid R.
Sturge Weber syndrome case report.
Case Rep Pediatr. 2025.

Crider AL, Nicoski P, Hyerdall A, Singhal M, Amin S.
Protein requirements in the NICU.
Neoreviews. 2025 Aug 1.

Lipa MC, Soepnel LM, Flammersfeld E, Adam K, Organ J, Choo Kang C, Amin S, Boyd B, Dugas L.
Maternal sociodemographic factors and neonatal outcomes.
Matern Child Health J. 2025 Sep.

Resident Wellness

We support well being through multiple initiatives.

Resident Advising
Longitudinal mentorship

Residents as Teachers
Training in teaching and feedback

Annual Retreats
Reflection and team building

Administrative Half Days
Time for appointments and rest

Financial Wellness
Book money for educational use
Lectures on financial planning
Travel support for conference presentations

Resident Wellness

Our program has a multi-faceted approach to addressing wellness and resiliency in our residents. Current and future programs within the residency include the following:

Professional Wellness:

Resident Advising: Residents choose one faculty member as their advisor during their first year of residency. The advisor they choose will provide mentorship throughout residency and will meet with the resident several times during the year.
Resident as Teachers: This lecture series focuses on teaching our residents how to effectively teach and provide feedback to junior residents and medical students.
Retreats: Retreats are held on an annual basis to prepare the class of residents for their next year of residency and to provide time for them to come together and socialize.
Academic Half Day: Each resident has dedicated half days during certain rotations where they can schedule health appointments or just have the afternoon off.

Social Wellness:

Annual Attendings vs Residents Competitions: Throughout the year, activities ranging from softball game to bowling are organized to promote attending/resident bonding outside of the clinical setting.
Annual Holiday Party: Residents are alloted time off to have a holiday party during the winter months in addition to the residency-wide holiday lunch that occurs in December.
Book Club: Attendings and residents can choose to participate in the residency book club that meets periodically to discuss their chosen novel for the year.
Snack Rounds: Our chief residents visit the hospital with an abundance of candy and snacks to check-in on our inpatient teams and provide support.
Inter-Residency Competitions: Through the GME office, annual pumpkin carving, gingerbread house building, and trivia competitions have been held among all the different residencies here at Loyola. Our residents have been proud winners of the gingerbread house building and trivia competitions!
Resident Wellness Week: Loyola's GME Wellness Committee hosts an annual wellness week in the spring that includes a range of activities like free yoga and treats.

Pediatric Residency program residents

Mental/Spiritual Wellness:

Debriefs: Attendings and chaplains are present during debrief sessions to help residents process and talk through recent patient deaths.
Carebridge: Through Trinity Health, residents can access a counselor or work-life specialist. Private consultations on any personal issue is available 24/7.
Wellness Conferences: Multiple lectures are scheduled throughout the year to address physician wellness and burnout. Additionally, our chief residents host wellness conferences, where residents can take a break from patient care and come together to participate in fun activities and have time to socialize with one another.
Therapy Animals: Therapy dogs and even a miniature horse regularly visit the hospital to treat not only the patients, but also the staff.
Holidays: Celebrate holidays (i.e. EID, Christmas and New Year's Day, etc.) off

Pediatric Residency program residents

Physical Wellness:

Annual Races: Through the Trinity Health System and GME office, there are annual races that residents can team-up to participate in.
On-Site Fitness Center: Residents have the option to become a member at the Loyola Center for Fitness. The fitness center has a wide variety of amenities including strength training and cardio equipment, a lap pool, a warm water therapy pool, racquetball and basketball courts, and group exercise rooms. Gym members can participate in classes like yoga, spinning, aquatic fitness and utilize their massage therapy, personal training, and nutritional counseling services.
Reimbursed Rides: Loyola GME will provide reimbursement for post-call residents who are unable to safely travel home.

Financial Wellness:

Book Money: Residents are allocated a yearly stipend that they can use towards board fees, educational materials, or review courses.
Lectures: Lectures on financial wellness are provided throughout the year.
Travel Money: Residents who are presenting at conferences are eligible to apply for funding to help cover travel expenses.

Pediatric Residency program residents

Activities
Photos

Activities in Chicagoland

Chicago is truly one of the world's greatest tourist destinations, with millions visiting each year to enjoy our architecture, museums, unique neighborhoods and city-sponsored festivals.

Chicago is the cultural heart of the Midwest and we are fortunate to be within 10 miles of the beautiful city. It is a cultural mecca with an abundance of different restaurants, events, and attractions to offer.

Near Maywood, you can visit the:

Brookfield Zoo filled with rescue animals
Salt Creek Trail – 27 miles of beautiful trails
Frank Lloyd Wright Landmark Home

In Chicago, there are multiple attractions, including:

Chicago also boasts of nearly 600 parks, 13 forest preserve areas, 147 golf courses, and 15 athletic parks and race tracks. The Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks and Bears provide major league sports enthusiasts with year round activity.

Whether it's a triathlon, Taste of Chicago, or the annual Blues Fest, Chicago's lakefront is alive with something for everyone.

The greater Chicago area provides easy access to many suburban attractions, from Six Flags Great America amusement park, to the Morton Arboretum to the outstanding Ravinia Park.

Check out our Instagram page to see our residents enjoy life both in and outside of the hospital!

Diversity

Health Equity and Human Impact (HEHI) Initiatives

The resident led DEIC promotes a culture of inclusivity and belonging while addressing healthcare disparities.

Educational topics include implicit bias microaggressions transgender health and racism in medicine. The committee hosts recruitment events and participates in SNMA initiatives, supporting a diverse resident community and fostering respect for all patients and colleagues.

Advocacy