What are the greatest strengths of Children's Hospital Oakland's Residency Program?
The team spirit among residents is surely one of our greatest strengths. While we are a fairly large program with 83 residents, there is a shared sense of purpose and connectedness at Children's which helps everyone thrive during the challenges of residency.
Residents who come to Children's work hard to achieve their common goals of serving our diverse patient population and acquiring an outstanding generalist education in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric medicine. The focus on cultural humility, advancing health equity and advocacy work keeps residents inspired.
Another great strength is our supportive learning environment and ideal educational setting. Children's is:
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A community hospital for several hundred pediatricians
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A county safety-net hospital
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A major tertiary care and referral center for Northern California
- Residents embrace a spectrum of pediatric cases, ranging from fundamental "bread and butter" scenarios to intricate subspecialty challenges. This diverse exposure serves as a testament to our program's commitment to delivering a comprehensive educational experience that nurtures both breadth and depth in pediatric medicine.
Will the residency program at Children's Hospital Oakland prepare me for a career in primary care or pediatric subspecialty at a university?
We believe our residents are exceedingly well prepared for a career in primary care or subspecialty pediatrics, and feedback from fellowship directors and chiefs of pediatrics throughout the country confirms this every year. The incredible diversity of patients encountered at Children's exposes residents to the whole breadth of pediatrics with so many opportunities to serve the local community and to acquire in-depth training in the pediatric subspecialties, with a focus on learning a lot about the most common conditions in those specialties while gaining experience with more unusual cases as well.
Our graduates have competed successfully for positions at the most sought-after subspecialty programs, while those seeking careers in primary care have been carried by our reputation into very desirable jobs at clinics and practices throughout the country.
Are any major changes in the residency program coming?
Our program will make changes in accordance with ACGME and American Board of Pediatrics requirements. We plan to continue offering a balance between primary care and subspecialty training, service and education, and this always requires fine-tuning. We're always looking for ways to improve the program and meet monthly to receive suggestions from all residents and meet very regularly with our chief residents. We also meet at least bi-monthly with our GME Committee which has elected resident representatives. Residents are always encouraged to help us solve any system or educational issues, and their input is invaluable.