The Personal Touch
Individual attention from faculty, opportunities for professional development, camaraderie that leads to fun and lifelong friendships -- all this and more awaits residents at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The atmosphere on campus mirrors that in Greater Cincinnati: all the advantages of a large city, but the personal feel of a small town.
Help in Getting Adjusted
To help new residents adapt to life at Cincinnati Children's, we offer a one-week orientation that combines team-building, fun and learning and includes Pediatric Advanced Life Support, seminars and a program exploring interpersonal skills, cooperation and independence. Social outings take advantage of opportunities for summer fun in Cincinnati, such as a Reds' baseball game, a riverboat cruise and a ropes course.
Strong one-on-one relationships can result from the matching of PL-1s with faculty advisors. These pairings are made with input from first-year residents. Faculty advisors, who are either full-time faculty members or community physicians, and PL-1s meet during an informal, introductory breakfast. This is an unstructured relationship without formal evaluation.
Because we recognize that residency life can be stressful, we sponsor a three-day retreat in January for first-year residents to encourage discussion and sharpen coping skills. To help second- and third-year residents begin to transition into their careers, we offer Career Days that feature concentrated discussions on career choices with tips on financial and medical legal issues in the practice of pediatrics, practice management, and obtaining a fellowship.
Teaching the Teachers
The resident-as-teacher is the focus of our special curriculum that helps to improve teaching skills. During two to three sessions each year, residents learn how to assess the needs of the learner, provide feedback and complete evaluations in a program that builds on itself. In addition, our ethics curriculum helps residents explore the ethical implications of practical issues and recognize their own values.
Knowing Where You Stand
During all three years of the program, we encourage dialogue through regularly scheduled town meetings between the residents and the residency directors and the Residency Council (10 residents from each year who meet once a month to discuss issues related to residency and curriculum). Residents can gauge their progress continually through written evaluations received after every rotation, as well as through a formal review with the chief residents and the program directors twice a year. For informal feedback, directors and chiefs are available, and their doors are always open. Feedback is encouraged on a weekly basis on the wards, mid-month and end of month sessions. At Cincinnati Children's, we recognize that at every stage of our training we are striving to become better physicians and are open to continuous feedback.
Social Events
All work and no play makes for unhappy residents, so the House Staff Association organizes social events, sports teams and hospital and community projects for your free time. Both planned and informal social events encourage socializing and relaxation. Cincinnati Children's provides financial support that allows you to sample a variety of local athletic and artistic endeavors.
For more information about the Pediatric Residency Program, please contact Diane M. Skeen, Program Coordinator, 513-636-4315 or 1-800-344-2462, ext. 4315, chmccpeds@cchmc.org.
