University of Illinois Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship
We are currently not accepting applications for Pediatric Fellowship.
The University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Anesthesiology offers one-year ACGME-accredited subspecialty training in Pediatric Anesthesiology. Clinical rotations take place at the University of Illinois Hospital (UIH), Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, and Advocate Children’s Hospital. The majority of rotations occur at UIH and Shriners Hospital; complex congenital cardiac rotation occurs at Advocate Children’s. Currently one fellow is accepted every year through the National Resident Matching Program.
Perioperative Clinical Experience
- Anesthetic management of pediatric patients in general pediatric operating suites and off-site locations such as radiology, gastroenterology and cardiac catheterization lab;
- management of patients with complex medical and congenital heart disease
- major orthopedic surgery, including scoliosis repair with instrumentation
- craniofacial reconstruction
- urologic surgery
- interventional vascular and neuroradiology
- Acute pain management: regional anesthesia as cornerstone of multimodal pain control
- Participation in preoperative consultation and in multidisciplinary meetings.
Clinical Rotations
- Main Operating Rooms and Off-Site Anesthesia – 8 months
- Neonatal Critical Care – 4 weeks
- Cardiac Anesthesia – 4 weeks
- Quality Improvement – 4 weeks
Educational Components
- Twice-weekly conferences covering core topics
- Journal Club every other month
- Departmental morbidity and mortality conference
- Participation in simulation once a month
- Supervision and teaching of residents in the OR

The fellow is expected to present at resident conference and departmental Grand Rounds. They will complete a QI project, and are mentored through the process of presenting a poster or abstract to the annual meetings of the SPA and regional conferences.
Requirements for Matriculation
- Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency program
- Passed USMLE (or COMLEX) step 3 exam
Call Responsibilities
Call is covered from home, including two weekends a month.
Benefits
Salary, insurance, retirement determined by UIC GME
- 4 weeks of vacation may be spread out through the year
- 1 week conference time
- Education allowance $750; in addition, travel and registration paid when fellow presents at a meeting
- Society for Pediatric Anesthesia membership; PALS and NRP certification
Timeline
Interviews conducted April – August
Match – October
Fellowship start – option to start August 1 of following year
Application Process
We are currently not accepting applications for Pediatric Fellowship.

Fellowship Director
Pilar Mercado, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System
1740 W Taylor St.
3200W UICH M/C 515
Chicago, IL 60612-7239
Tel: 312-996-4020
Fax: 312-996-4019
E-mail: pmerca1@uic.edu
Pediatric Anesthesia-Trained Faculty
Jennifer Anderson, MD
Richard Banchs, MD
Jamey Eklund, MD
Helen Lee, MD
Sarah Oswald, MD
Leelach Rothschild, MD
Nicole Thompson, MD
Polina Voronov, MD – Division Chief