Application Process

Congratulations on being at this point in your medical training! We are incredibly excited for this coming year's recruitment season and about your interest in our program.

We are committed to reading all applications in a complete and holistic way to understand who applicants are, their unique strengths, backgrounds, and journeys to medicine. We are committed to recruiting a diverse class for all the reasons we know it matters, including representing the diverse patients, families, and communities we proudly serve.

We train a group of readers to read applications in their entirety. Because of this, it will take several weeks to read through applications and extend interviews.

We are very excited to meet you, welcome you, share more about your program, and answer the important questions you have.

We believe in the national recommendations that support virtual interviews for financial, environmental and equity reasons, and will be conducting all of our interviews virtually. We will also be following the national recommendation around second looks, such that we will certify and lock our match list by the end of January, so that we can offer students who are interested and wish to see the city and/or hospital after this time, a chance to do so.

Each interview day will start with a welcome and introduction from our Program Director and chief residents, followed by a program overview. All applicants applying for categorical peds will have two interviews. Additionally, the day will include a virtual tour, opportunity to spend time and ask questions of residents, and time with other program leaders.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at pedsres@luriechildrens.org

Applications for residency should be sent only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Our program is listed as McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program, program number 3201621070.

Required Materials

Dean's letter
Transcript (including first quarter senior grades)
USMLE Step 1 scores
USMLE Step 2 scores
Three or four letters of reference. At least one should be from someone who worked closely with you on a pediatrics rotation and who regularly writes letters for students, such as the student clerkship director, the director of inpatient rotation, training program, senior clinician, or one of the residency program directors. A pro forma “departmental letter” is not necessarily needed unless the writer(s) know the applicant well.

2024-2025 Interview Dates

October: 30
November: 1, 4, 13, 14, 18, 21, 25
December: 2, 6, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19

We interview up to 27 applicants per day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find more information on program procedures, stipends and benefits?

Housestaff for all Northwestern University affiliates (including Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago) are employed by and receive benefits through the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. The McGaw site offers a sample contract, housestaff manual and information on stipends and benefits

What are the minimum requirements of the resident position?

We do no have any minimum requirements

Pediatric Residency Program Technical Standards for Trainees

The following sections are based on the McGaw Institutional Technical Standards for GME Trainees with the addition of data specific to the Pediatric Residency Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Although there are generic portions to this document, the term “trainees” refers to pediatric residents.

Overview

Graduate Medical Education (GME) training is an essential dimension of the transformation of the medical student to the independent practitioner along the continuum of medical education. It is physically, emotionally, and intellectually demanding, and requires longitudinally-concentrated effort on the part of the trainee.

The specialty education of physicians to practice independently is experiential, and necessarily occurs within the context of the health care delivery system. Developing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes leading to proficiency in all the domains of clinical competency. For the trainee, the essential learning activity is interaction with patients under the guidance and supervision of attending physician who give value, context, and meaning to those interactions. As trainees gain experience and demonstrate growth in their clinical competency, they assume roles that permit them to exercise those skills with greater independence. This concept, graded and progressive responsibility, is one of the core tenets of American graduate medical education. Supervision in the setting of graduate medical education has the goals of assuring the provision of safe and effective care to the individual patient; assuring each trainee’s development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to enter the unsupervised practice of medicine; and establishing a foundation for continued professional growth.

From an institutional standpoint, GME Trainees (Trainees) include all Residents and Fellows participating in graduate medical education at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. This includes those programs not accredited by the ACGME (i.e. “non-standard programs”).

Prerequisites

Trainees must conform to any and all requirements documented in their training contract.
All trainees must have passed Step II of the USMLE
Trainees must maintain a valid medical license in the State of Illinois.

Professionalism

Trainees must be familiar with and comply with McGaw Medical Center (McGaw) policies and procedures, as well as those additional policies and procedures specific to the Pediatric Residency program.
Trainees must be familiar with and comply with any hospital specific policies and procedures while on rotations at those training sites.
Trainees must comply with all documentation and educational requirements of the ACGME, McGaw, or any hospital at which they are training in a timely fashion.
Trainees must exhibit a high degree of professionalism when communicating and interacting with all members of the medical community and patients.
Trainees must exhibit a high degree of professionalism when documenting or utilizing the electronic medical record (EMR).
Trainees must comply with the Safe and Healthy Learning policy of McGaw.
Trainees must honestly and accurately track, document, and report duty hours worked.
Trainees must report any variance from ACGME or program duty hour limits to the Program Director and if recurrent then to the DIO/Associate Dean of GME.
Trainees must report any problems with fatigue, illness, or any other impairments that could affect their ability to perform their duties to the Program Director in a timely fashion.
Trainees must refrain from all illicit or illegal drug use.

Clinical Duties

Trainees will participate in training activities following a rotation schedule as assigned by the program.
Trainees will demonstrate an increasing degree of autonomy and independence as defined by the program.
Trainees will carry a standard patient case load as assigned by the program.
Trainees will take night call on a schedule as assigned by the program.
Trainees will supervise and participate in the education of other trainees and/or medical students as assigned by the program.
Trainees will supervise other trainees as assigned by the program.
Trainees must perform skills (medical, procedural, and other) as defined by their program with progressive competence and independence appropriate to their training level (ability to perform skillfully, safely, independently, and with the appropriate indication) as defined by the program.

Other Education

Trainees will actively participate in the program specific didactic curriculum as assigned by the program.
Trainees will engage in adult independent learning while off site, which may include some nights and weekends to augment the program’s didactic curriculum including reading and preparation of presentations.
Trainees will participate in any self-evaluative processes including “in-service examinations” or simulation exercises.
Trainees will participate in any remediation process as assigned by the program under McGaw disciplinary action policies.

For more information on McGaw Policies and housestaff resources including benefits, stipend, licenses and visa, and educational resources please visit:

http://mcgaw.northwestern.edu/benefits-resources/index.html

Can I send a Universal Application for Residency?

No. The only applications we review are those submitted through the ERAS.

When is your deadline for applications?

While we do not have an actual deadline for applications, we do recommend that you submit yours as soon as possible. We are unable to interview every applicant due to the volume of applications we receive, so it is in the best interest of applicants to submit early.

Do all my letters of recommendation need to be from pediatricians?

We would like letters from individuals who know you well and are able to comment on your skills, abilities, accomplishments and suitability for a residency position.

Is there a maximum number of letters of recommendation you will accept?

No, we will review and consider any letter of recommendation that comes to us through ERAS.

What are your requirements for international medical graduates?

International medical graduates must hold the Standard Certificate of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. Our parent program, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, sponsors both J-1 and H-1B visas. More information on licenses and visas can be found on the McGaw site. We do not have firm cutoffs for USMLE scores. We prefer that there are no interruptions in training.

What is the criteria to be eligible for an H-1B visa?

A candidate may be eligible for an H-1B visa if the following criteria are met:

The candidate has passed all 3 steps of the USMLE before the program's rank list certification on February 10, 2025. With the only exception being those applicants currently enrolled at US-based medical schools who are eligible for a 1 year OPT visa before applying for an H-1B.
The candidate has done one or more of the following:
- Demonstrated scholarly accomplishment as evidenced by publication of original research in one or more peer-reviewed journals.
- Completed postgraduate training at their home institution
- Received an advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MSc).
- Received a high ranking in their medical school class.
- Submitted exceptional letters of recommendation from an academic institution in which they had a meaningful experience in direct patient care or as a research coordinator
Clinical experience in the United States (either as a visiting medical student or as a recipient of a postgraduate externship) with a letter of support from the responsible faculty attending physician is desirable.