Pediatric Residency Tracks
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Pediatric Residency offers four unique educational tracks to our residents. The tracks available are advocacy, global health, hospital medicine, and research. The different tracks allow residents individualized educational opportunities in their specific areas of interest. There is an application available during intern year for anyone who is interested to apply.
Medical Education Track Heading link
This track is intended for residents interested in pursuing academic and MedEd careers. Upon track completion participants will receive a certificate of completion.
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Details
Our goals are to:
- Introduce MedEd theories and teaching strategies that are applicable to the unique
position of residents-as-teachers - Improve teaching skills through observed teaching sessions and individualized feedback
- Expand MedEd opportunities available to residents by providing protected time to
develop teaching skills and to participate in mentored longitudinal MedEd projects - Provide individualized mentorship to residents who plan on incorporating MedEd as a component of their future careers
- Introduce MedEd theories and teaching strategies that are applicable to the unique
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You must fit one of these requirements
- 1st year residents in Peds or IM
- 1st or 2nd year residents in MedPeds
- 2nd or 3rd year EM/IM residents
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Details
- Minimum 2 weeks MedEd teaching elective (once during residency)
- To coincide with the weeklong “Transition to Residency” (TTR) program for medical students in Spring
- Attend mini-lecture series
- Protected time to work on a longitudinal project
- Optional additional 2 weeks for a longitudinal project or to participate in TTR a second time
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Details
- Attend monthly conference series (min 75% attendance). Residents can watch recordings and send proof of completion.
- Participate in yearly MedEd OSTE (Objective Structured Teaching Examination/Exercise)
- Present on a MedEd topic of your choice (minimum once/year) during:
- MedEd track conferences
- Categorical morning/noon conferences
- Intern Orientation (can be someone’s project!)
- Rising Senior Meeting (can be someone’s project!)
- Work with a faculty mentor to complete the longitudinal project in MedEd, with the goal of:
- Submitting abstract to regional/national conference
- Presenting scholarly work at a research symposium
- Publishing an article on a MedEd blog or MedEd portal
- Participate in at least 3 additional teaching opportunities throughout the course of the residency, including but not limited to:
- M2 Simulation sessions (tentatively winter, spring)
- Peds Clerkship Simulation sessions (tentatively year-round)
- Transition to Clerkship for rising M3s (tentatively April)
- Clinical Intersections for M3s (tentatively July-December)
- Newborn Workshop (tentatively March-June)
- Introduction to Clinical Medicine
- College of Medicine (COM) Mentor’s Program (teach med students how to write/present case reports)
- Precept in the student-run free clinicSemiannual individual progress meetings with track director
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Track director profiles
Kelsie Avants, DO
Assistant ProfessorEmail:
Jennifer Schulte, MD
Assistant Professor
Global Health Track Heading link
To improve health equity in sustainable ways, our global health resident physicians need to demonstrate competency in domains including capacity strengthening, collaboration, program management, strategic analysis, social justice, and ethics, among others. Through the UIC Center for Global Health, we offer a series of skills-based global health workshops and journal clubs that enhance the training of our global health residents to translate knowledge into action in order to promote health equity.
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Details
This workshop enables residents to build skills particularly in the domains of capacity strengthening and collaboration. Residents learn about best practices in academic-community partnerships, how to develop a community needs assessment and project plans, and how to create evaluation and sustainability plans for global health projects.
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Details
This workshop enhances resident skills in the domains of health equity, social justice and ethics. Residents learn to analyze global health policies and priorities, prepare policy briefs, write op-eds, and use social media for global health advocacy.
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Details
This workshop builds residents’ knowledge of ethical frameworks and skills in applying ethical principles to global health case scenarios. This session enhances residents’ ability to demonstrate respect for other cultures, resolve ethical challenges when dealing with vulnerable populations, and apply international standards for protecting human subjects.
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Details
This workshop builds skills targeting the global health competency domains of program management and strategic analysis. Residents learn to design study proposals and evaluate outcomes of implementation science research.
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Details
We offer quarterly inter-disciplinary journal clubs to build residents’ knowledge of current global health literature and create an opportunity for scholarly exchange. Residents learn to critically evaluate the literature and learn ethical and evidence-based global health practices through interactive discussions.
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Details
At UIC Pediatrics, we recognize that many of our residents plan on using their clinical skills to care for children throughout the developing world. Each year, we provide 2 of our residents with a $5000 stipend to complete a one-month international medicine elective. Applicants are chosen by the Global Health Experience committee based on prior experience and long-term career goals. It is our hope that resident participants will complete the rotation with a greater understanding of the unique needs faced by underserved patients on a global scale.
Advocacy Track Heading link
The mission of the Community Pediatrics and Advocacy Track at CHUI is to train pediatric residents to develop community partnerships and advocate for and impact children’s health at the local, state and national levels.
By gaining the tools needed to assess and evaluate their community, residents will develop a greater understanding of their community’s assets and needs. They will partner with community organizations to improve the lives of children through the implementation of projects designed specifically to meet the needs of their community. They will learn the importance of sustainability in community work and develop plans to sustain their efforts after the completion of their residency. Residents also are trained in policy brief creation culminating in a presentation on a relevant pediatric medical topic affecting legislation to an Illinois legislator.
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Details
- 2 year program (PGY 2-3)
- Partner with community agencies in collaborative work
- Expand leadership skills
- Develop grant writing skills
- Meet with Advocacy Track participants/mentors for project development
- Attend Annual Lobby Day in Springfield in conjunction with ICAAP
- Learn skills to create Legislative Policy Brief
- Attend community networking events
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What to expect
- Complete IRB Training through UIC
- Identify mentor for advocacy project
- 1 to 2 week block in fall to begin project development and grant application
- 1 to 2 week block in spring for project development and implementation
- Longitudinal advocacy experience (12 half-days over the course of the year during Y block)
- Case-based advocacy presentations during Adolescent and Development rotations
- Legislative Policy Brief Presentation
- Submit project proposal
- Apply for project grant
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What to expect
- Implement and evaluate advocacy project
- 1 to 2 week block in fall to begin project development and grant application
- 1 to 2 week in spring for project development and implementation
- Longitudinal advocacy experience (12 half-days over the course of the year during Y block)
- Mentor community intern—work together on an activity or teaching session
- Present at Grand Rounds
- Legislative Policy Brief Presentation
- Submit an abstract or manuscript based on your work
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Track Heading link
The purpose of this track is to provide individualized educational opportunities for residents interested in a career in either academic or community-based pediatric hospital medicine. Upon completion of the track program, residents will receive a certificate/plaque.
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Please review before applying
You must be either a:
- first-year categorical pediatrics resident
- first or second year med/peds residents
Application requirements include:
- Updated CV
- Three paragraph essay: 1) Your ultimate career goals 2) What you hope to gain from the track, and 3) Your research project idea
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Track details
Recommended Electives:
- Research
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Advanced PICU elective
- NICU sub-fellowship
- Peds subspecialties: ID, pulmonology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology
Required Scholarly Activities:
- Present at UIC/Rush joint PHM Journal Club (once per year)
- Attend the monthly UIC/Rush joint PHM Journal Club when available
- Join the AAP SOHM List serve
- Attend monthly track meetings to review 2020 PHM Core Competencies and present twice yearly
- Complete Longitudinal Scholarly Project
- Submit an abstract to regional/ national conference
- Present at Research in Progress
- If participating in QI Project – Submit to UIC QI symposium
Residents are also required to meet quarterly with track director
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Meet our Directors
Meghan Harding, DO
Assistant Professor of Clinical PediatricsEmail:
Stacy Laurent, DO
Assistant Professor of Clinical PediatricsEmail:
Pediatric Research Track Heading link
The purpose of this track is to provide focused, individualized education in the area of clinical, basic, or translational research and establish longitudinal research experience during pediatrics residency. Upon completion of the track program, residents will receive a certificate/plaque.
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Please review before applying
You must must apply during the fall application period and should be either a:
- First year categorical pediatrics residents
- First or second year med/peds residents
Application requirements:
- Updated CV
- Three paragraph essay: 1) Your ultimate career goals 2) Why you are interested in a research career, and 3) Your research project idea
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Track details
- Research mentor selected upon acceptance to track
- One protected half-day for a longitudinal research project during elective rotations protected
- Up to 3 dedicated research elective rotations (coordinated with pediatric chief residents)
- Meet with a research mentor on a monthly or bimonthly basis
- Meet with track director twice yearly
- Required scholarly activities
- One longitudinal research project to be performed during residency
- Design and conduct a hypothesis-driven project within any area of pediatrics
- Submission of one small grant proposal (AAP Resident Research, APA
- Resident Research Award, CCTS Pilot Grant, etc)
- Attend regularly scheduled Research In Progress meetings
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Meet our director
Meghan Harding, DO
Assistant Professor of Clinical PediatricsEmail: