Pediatric Residency Program
The pediatric residency program at University of Louisville is home to 78 residents from thirty-six medical schools in twenty-four states and three countries. We asked our residents, faculty, ancillary and support staff their favorite things about the city and program:
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Medicine-Pediatrics Combined Residency Program
This four-year special residency program, sponsored jointly by the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, was established in the early 1980s. During the four years, residents participate in the basic services, continuity practices and electives of the two departments. Upon completion, Med-Peds physicians are eligible for board certification in both specialties.
Program AIMS
- To train critically thinking general pediatricians who, through comprehensive clinical training, leave our program: feeling prepared to enter a variety of career fields; with ownership of their life-long learning; and the skills to lead at the institutional, community, and national level.
- To provide residents with the skills to advocate for their patients at all levels: the individual patient, the hospital or clinic, the community, and the population.
- Create a culture with emphasis on patient safety, personal accountability, and the willingness to continuously and objectively evaluate our practices to improve our quality of care.
- To promote a scholarly approach to clinical, teaching, and research activities and provide role modeling, mentoring, and basic skills that prepare our residents for a future in medicine.
- To recruit, retain, and engage a workforce that represents the population we serve and to foster a nurturing and supportive environment that values different perspectives.
Mission | Vision | Values |
|---|---|---|
Our program mission is to develop well-rounded, balanced physicians with a deep commitment to their patients, their profession, their community, and life-long learning by providing a robust clinical environment, experiential curriculum, innovative teaching, opportunities for scholarly activity and attention to personal professional development |
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Program Leadership
Sara Multerer, M.D.
Program Director
Professor of Pediatrics
Vice Chair of Pediatric Medical Education
After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Multerer received her medical degree from Indiana University and then moved to Louisville for her pediatric residency training at University of Louisville. Upon completion of her residency, Sara was elected Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident and Lecturer for the program. At the end of her tenure as Chief Resident, Sara stayed on the faculty at the University of Louisville as a pediatric hospitalist with special interests in patient safety and quality improvement as well as resident education.
On a personal note, Sara is married to her high school sweetheart, Matt, and they are proud parents of twin girls.
Adam Patterson, M.D., M.Sc.
Associate Program Director
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Co-Director, Medical Student Distinction in Medical Education Track
Dr. Patterson was born and raised in Louisville. He received his Bachelor of Science from Centre College in Danville, KY in 2006. He then returned home for his medical training: Medical School, Pediatric Residency, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship. Upon completion of Fellowship in 2017, he joined the faculty at the University of Louisville in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and as Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency.
Dr. Patterson has a background in athletics as a varsity basketball player for Centre College and an assistant coach for DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, which greatly influences his passion for coaching and mentorship in medical education. He enjoys creating innovative educational experiences for trainees and guiding residents to find their own passions by leading programs such as pediatric career exploration and the Medical Education Track.
He enjoys spending time with his wife, Marilyn, and their sons.
Becca Hart, M.D., M.Sc.
Associate Program Director
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Scholarly Activity
Dr. Hart is an Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program at the University of Louisville. Originally from New Albany, Indiana, Dr. Hart completed her undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana before attending medical school at University of Louisville. She completed her pediatric residency at University of Louisville in 2015 and her Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship in 2018. She has been a member of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine as faculty since 2018 and also served as Director of Scholarly Activity for the Pediatric Residency since that time. Dr. Hart became an Associate Program Director in 2021.
Dr. Hart serves as the chair of the Pediatric Resident and Faculty Wellness Committee and also directs the Pediatric Emergency Medicine resident and student rotation. As Scholarly Activity Director she also leads the resident distinction track in research. In addition to her ED clinical work, Becca is also interested in medical education initiatives, public health, advocacy, and vaccinology research. with special interest in vaccination in non-traditional health settings.
Becca enjoys spending time outdoors, running, traveling, reading, gymnastics, Hoosier basketball, and most of all spending time with her husband, Daniel, and their twins, Rowan and Maren.
Jennifer Stiff, M.D.
Associate Program Director
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Co-Course Director, Introduction to Clinical Medicine
Associate Division Chief, General Pediatrics
Dr. Stiff is originally from Owensboro, KY. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Bellarmine University, medical degree from the University of Louisville, and completed her Pediatric Residency at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She joined the UofL faculty in the Division of General Pediatrics in 2014 and became and Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency in 2024 after serving for 3 years as Interim Division Chief of General Pediatrics.
Dr. Stiff is also the Co-Course Director of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course for first and second year medical students. Dr. Stiff's interests include parenting, injury and illness prevention, and nutrition and healthy lifestyle. She also enjoys teach medical students and residents about developing and refining communication and physical exam skills.
Jennifer and her husband, Patrick, stay busy keeping up with their three children, Henry, Caroline, and Elsie.
Kimberly Boland, M.D.
Professor and Chair of Pediatrics
Dr. Billy F. Andrews Endowed Chair of Pediatrics
Chief of Staff, Norton Children's Hospital
Dr. Boland was raised in Louisville. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and returned home to earn her medical degree from the University of Louisville. She then moved to St. Louis where she completed her residency and chief residency in Pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University. After finishing her chief residency, she worked as a hospitalist for two years in a community hospital in St. Louis and then went on to complete a Pediatric Critical Care fellowship at Washington University. Dr. Boland again returned home to Louisville, where she spent five and a half years as a Pediatric Intensivist and filled the roles of Director of Resident Education for the Critical Care Division and Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Director for one year at the University of Louisville. She left to pursue a career in general pediatrics for three years but was drawn back to the academic world to be part of the excitement and energy of the educational realm. She returned to the University of Louisville as Division Chief of General Inpatient Medicine and Director of the Pediatric Hospitalist Program at Norton Children’s Hospital and quickly became involved in resident education with subsequent appointment to an Associate Program Director role and then the Program Director role which she filled for nine years.
Dr. Boland currently serves as the Billy F. Andrews, M.D. Endowed Chair of Pediatrics. She also serves the broader GME community as the Associate Dean for Resident Education. She is the Past President for the Kentucky Chapter of the AAP and enjoys working in advocacy including with the the resident driven advocacy program PUSH (Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health). She is involved with many task forces and committees within the University and hospital. Dr. Boland is focusing on growing our pediatric academic medical center to accomplish our four-pronged mission of excellence in clinical care, outstanding teaching, especially of the pediatric work force of tomorrow; research leading toward innovative and cutting-edge care; and community engagement, and advocacy.
Dr. Boland is married to an Irishman, and they have one red-headed daughter.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Our program is structured to permit the physician to develop broad clinical expertise in general and primary care pediatrics as well as in-depth competence in the pediatric sub-specialties. We accomplish this by offering three progressive levels of training characterized by increasing complexity of clinical problems, increasing responsibility for patient care and increasing availability of elective time. The program mixes hands-on, bedside training, didactic sessions, one-on-one consultations, small group sessions and online learning that strives to meet all learning styles of our residents as well as getting broad exposure to specific areas that might be of interest as formal career paths.
Pediatric Level 1 (PGY-1)
This year is designed to provide a comprehensive experience in inpatient and outpatient pediatrics, a basic fund of knowledge of human growth and development and pediatrics diseases, and an opportunity to develop the basic clinical and technical skills involved in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of infants, children and adolescents. There is an emphasis on learning the pathophysiology of diseases in children and developing clinical judgment in caring for sick children.
All rotations are located at Norton Children's Hospital except for rotations on the newborn and neonatal intensive care units at University of Louisville Hospital.
Pediatric Level 2 (PGY-2)
Physicians who have completed one year of pediatric training and have fulfilled the requirements for medical licensure in the state of Kentucky are advanced to the second year of training. This year provides an opportunity for the physicians to improve clinical skills acquired during the first year, assume increasing levels of responsibility and patient care, and develop knowledge and skills in subspecialty areas. In addition to subspecialty rotations, PGY-2s rotate through the pediatric intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit assuming an increasing responsibility in patient care and in PGY-1s and medical student supervision and education.
Pediatric Level 3 (PGY-3)
Physicians in their third year of training assume maximum responsibility both for patient care and the supervision of junior house officers and medical students on the inpatient and outpatient services of Norton Children's Hospital and University of Louisville Hospital.
It is a year devoted to improving clinical judgment and preparation for practice or further sub-specialty training. In addition, the senior resident is expected to review medical literature pertinent to the problems of patients under their supervision and present this material to other house officers and students on rounds.
Sample Resident Annual Schedule
Disclaimer: The following table is a general schedule only. There will be variability from resident to resident, year to year, but each resident over their three years will meet all ACGME training requirements. Our residents will have 13 x 4 week rotations in an academic year.
| PGY - 1 | PGY - 2 | PGY - 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotation | # blocks | Rotation | # blocks | Rotation | # blocks |
| Clinic | 1 | Clinic | 1 | Clinic | 1 |
| UofL Hospital NICU | 1 | Norton Children's Hospital NICU | 0.5 | Norton Children's Hospital NICU | 0.5 |
| Heme/Onc | 1 | PICU | 1 | PICU | 1 |
| ED | 1.5 | ED | 1 | ED | 1 |
| Hospital Medicine (Wards) | 2.5 | Hospital Medicine (Wards) | 2 | Hospital Medicine (Wards) | 2 |
| Night Team | 0.5 | Night Team | 1 | Night Team | 0.5 |
| Outpatient Subspecialty | 1 | Cardiology | 1 | Core Subspecialty | 2 |
| Adolescent | 1 | Ambulatory | 1 | Ambulatory | 1 |
| Newborn | 1 | Developmental Behavioral Peds | 1 | IC Elective* | 2 |
| Mental Health | 0.5 | Advocacy with Mental Health | 0.5 | Vacation | 1 |
| PIE/Procedure* | 0.5 | Core Subspecialty | 1 | - | - |
| IC Elective* | 0.5 | IC Elective* | 1 | - | - |
| Vacation | 1 | Vacation | 1 | - | - |
PIE = Professional Identity Exploration*
IC Elective = Individualized Curriculum Elective*
X+Y and Block Scheduling
Our program uses a method of resident scheduling called X+Y scheduling. As part of this program, residents will do their longitudinal clinic in multiple one to two-week rotations over the course of each year. This means that residents will not go to their longitudinal clinic on inpatient rotations such as the Wards or ICU.
The goals and anticipated advantages of this method are:
- Minimizing conflict between inpatient and outpatient responsibilities
- Improving resident “presence” on their rotations
- Improving the predictability of clinic schedules to allow for more patient continuity
Where do I do my Longitudinal Outpatient Clinic?
At the beginning of training, first-year residents are assigned to one of our three primary continuity sites - Norton Children's Medical Group - Novak Center , Norton Children's Medical Group - Germantown, and Norton Children's Medical Group - Stonestreet for their longitudinal clinic. Residents attend their assigned outpatient clinic for a minimum of 36 half-day clinic experiences per year. Residents will see the full spectrum of outpatient primary care from newborns to adolescents, straightforward healthy children to medically complex, routine cough and cold visits to sensitive and multifaceted mental health concerns and everything in between.
Our ambulatory faculty are dedicated to quality, evidence-based care and are proud of our recognition as the Outstanding Division of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. Faculty are honored to serve as professional and scholarly mentors for residents as needed. Clinic didactics are based upon an online outpatient pediatrics curriculum and reviewed with faculty using Kahoot - an online game-based learning platform.
The longitudinal outpatient experience is designed to provide the house officer with a view of growth and development and disease evolution in the pediatric patient that encompasses the spectrum of birth through adolescence. Our clinic populations serve primarily Medicaid eligible populations and each serves a unique demographic within the city.
Our clinics serve over 50,000 of the most vulnerable patients in our community.
Individualized Curriculum
We know that all residents have their own path, and this may change during the course of training. With early exposure to career interests as an intern, mentorship to discuss career goals and needs throughout residency, and guidance from division education leaders, our residents are prepared for life after residency. No matter your desired career path, our individualized curriculum guides each resident toward their future career.
Career Exploration
At the beginning of intern year, each resident will schedule a longitudinal career exploration experience that they will choose based on their anticipated career pathway. Over the course of the first two years, residents will spend 1-2 half days during their Y (outpatient) block with the division of their choice. The activities in those exploration opportunities have been specifically tailored by divisional education leaders to provide a broad range of exposure to their fields, giving a true taste of life in that specialty. If a resident's career path changes over time, as it often does, the career exploration assignment can be modified accordingly.
During the intern year, each resident will have the opportunity for:
- One month of ward service choice: One month of ward experience on a team that focuses on the subspecialty patient population of the resident's choosing
- Individualized Curriculum mentor: Each intern chooses a mentor at the beginning of residency to provide them with objective career advice and guidance over the course of the three-year residency. This mentor will meet with the resident at least annually to assist in this process.
At the beginning of the second year, each resident will choose a career-focused pathway. Options include:
- Primary Care
- Community Private Practice
- Academic General Pediatrics
- Rural General Pediatrics
- Hospital Medicine
- Community
- Academic
- Neonatology
- Emergency Medicine/Critical Care
- Subspecialty Fellowship
- Adolescent
- Allergy/Immunology
- Behavior/Development
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hospital Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Global Health
Each pathway contains required elements as deemed necessary by faculty in each field as well as "Menu Options" from which residents will choose. Each pathway will also have strongly recommended subspecialty core electives which are separate from the six months of Individualized Curriculum. For example, the resident above might choose electives in Infectious Diseases, Hematology/Oncology, Neurology, and Allergy, which are applicable to his or her career but are in addition to the six months of Individualized Curriculum.
Electives
Benefits, Perks, and Insurance
Stipend rates based on 3% increase for all PG levels
Perks
Parking Permits
Free parking in the attached, covered Norton Children's Hospital garage and all other Norton garages downtown.
Board Review
All second-year and third-year residents in good standing in the program earn a stipend for purchasing board review materials.
Meals
On call meals are provided at both Norton Children's Hospital and UofL Hospital.
Ward Support
Nurse Clinicians: In response to resident feedback, Norton Children's Hospital provides a nurse clinician for each ward team to aid in completing work involving communication and patient care. This team of nurses also provides month-to-month continuity.
AAP Membership
Resident memberships are provided to the American Academy of Pediatrics including subscriptions to PREP and Pediatrics in Review.
Athletics
Residents are eligible to purchase student athletic tickets, which are offered at reduced rates through the Athletics Department.
Insurance
Insurance Plans
The University offers a complete package of insurance coverage for our residents and their families, including health, dental, vision, prescription, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Supplemental Life, Short Term Disability and Long Term Care. Detailed plan information can be found on the University of Louisville Human Resources site.
Retirement
Residents are considered "eligible employees" and may contribute monies to any of UofL's retirement plans.
Worker's Compensation
All house staff are covered under the Kentucky Worker's Compensation statutes for injuries incurred while engaged in regularly assigned duties.
Professional Liability Insurance (Malpractice)
Professional liability insurance is provided by the University of Louisville or by affiliated hospitals through contract agreement.
Preventive Health Program
Hepatitis B immunization, an annual TB skin test, and flu shots are required and furnished free of charge to all residents. Additionally, COVID-19 testing and monitoring is also provided free of charge.
For more information, please visit the UofL Employee Benefits page
Educational Resources
Online Learning Opportunities
Anytime, anywhere learning comes to the residency program by way of an array of tools and websites for residents. All resident and departmental educational conferences are offered through virtual platforms. Further examples of online educational resources include streaming presentations developed in-house by the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division, Cardiology talks created by current residents, Mount Sinai Keystones of Development curriculum modules, Quality Improvement modules from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, online nutrition seminars from Abbott, and the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Ambulatory Care Curriculum online. From entry into the program to graduation, residents are given resources to help prepare for each stage of their program.
Amion
Our chief residents manage the resident schedules online using the web-based tool, Amion. Residents can view the entire house staff schedule as well as create custom views of their own schedule for all rotations by day, month or year.
MedHub
Residents can logon anytime, anywhere to MedHub and enter their work hours and procedure logs, download needed forms and review up-to-date announcements. The management software is also home to rotation goals and objectives and resident evaluations. A one-stop shop!
Microsoft 365
Residents are granted access to a full complement of tools through the Microsoft Office 365 Suite including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Resident groups are able to work remotely through Microsoft Teams.
Adobe Creative Suite
University trainees, faculty, and staff have subscription access to more than 20 Adobe programs, including desktop and mobile apps as well as hundreds of online tutorials.
Board Review Support
Each resident receives a generous Board Review support package including:
- Free PediaLink access to PREP The Curriculum® all three years
- Stipend for board review materials at the end of training
- Our noon conference curriculum is created directly from ACGME guidelines and ABP suggested materials
Pediatric Resident Survival Guide
All incoming residents are given access to a booklet titled “Pediatric Resident Survival Guide”, a handy reference guide includes charts, guidelines, contact lists and tips useful for everyday patient encounters. This resource was created by a former resident and is maintained through the Office of Medical Education.
Transition Checklist, Your Final Year of Residency Training
Created by our Office of Medical Education for our graduating residents, this resource will aid your transition to a clinical practice setting, academic position or fellowship training.
Medical Education
We have created a well-rounded learning environment to prepare our residents for superior patient care and impart the knowledge to manage their profession as pediatricians.
Core Conference
Daily noon conferences provide the residents with a rolling, 18-month comprehensive core curriculum of pediatric topics as determined by the chief residents and program director. These are chosen from the ABP, PREP and ACGME core medical knowledge themes. Lectures are given by UofL faculty in the Department of Pediatrics.
Business Side of Medicine
These monthly lectures cover topics such as contract negotiation, what to do if you’ve been subpoenaed, malpractice coverage, and creating your CV.
Child Advocacy (P.U.S.H.)
Each month, residents meet to discuss issues related to child advocacy within the framework of the resident-led child advocacy program, P.U.S.H. These meetings are a combination of project planning sessions as well as didactic sessions focusing on topics pertinent to child advocacy.
Communication
Delivering difficult news is never easy, but our communication curriculum gives residents the skills necessary to handle this challenging responsibility as well as more routine tasks such as phone consults and patient handoffs. On a monthly basis, residents meet to focus on communication as it relates to patients and their families as well as other healthcare professionals. With a goal of exceeding the ACGME's core competencies of Interpersonal and Communication Skills and Professionalism, the communication curriculum is delivered in a variety of formats through a combination of workshops, video sessions and standardized patient encounters over 18 months.
Grand Rounds
This is a weekly, one-hour conference that is available to all pediatric faculty and residents. A wide variety of topics pertinent to general pediatrics are covered. These sessions are given by a combination of invited speakers and faculty within the department.
Med Ed Business Meetings
During these monthly meetings, resident issues and ideas for program improvement are discussed openly among the residents, chief residents, program director, associate program directors and office staff.
Mentoring program
Each resident chooses a mentor during their intern year. Interns chose faculty who have similar interests both in and out of medicine. Once chosen, residents and mentors meet independently. Topics covered during these meetings include: clinical performance, program engagement and time management, personal wellness, lifelong learning, and planning for the future.
Morbidity and Mortality (M&M)
Each month, faculty, residents, and students participate in this resident-led, multidisciplinary conference aimed at improving patient safety and quality of care. Cases are chosen by the Pediatric M&M Committee, consisting of pediatric residents, chief residents, and faculty.
Morning Report
We kick off each morning with a board-style "question-of-the-day" which is answered in a team environment with learning points discussed by the chief residents. This is followed by morning report, a daily session that offers a format for residents to learn about latest clinical practice in the hospital and relevant pediatric topics, hosted by several speakers from multidisciplinary teams such as subspecialist fellows and attendings, chief residents, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, psychologists, and more.
PREP Party
Based on resident feedback, we implemented a new approach to board study where the residents work through board review questions related to a "specialty of the month." The conference is led by a Chief Resident and guest faculty member from the selected specialty who helps facilitate discussion and expand on the questions/explanations. PREP Party occurs during noon conference once a month.
Resident Grand Rounds
All pediatric faculty, residents and students are invited to attend this weekly conference where interesting case-based presentations are made by Pediatric and Med-Peds residents.
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Our Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Safety curriculum consists of monthly sessions with brief didactics on common QI methods/topics. These didactics are followed by working meetings in which residents participate in team-based QI and safety projects both in the hospital and in our clinics. Residents work with faculty and nursing mentors on process evaluation, root cause analysis, and designing and implementing Plan-Do-Study-Act(PDSA) cycles. Residents take turns acting as the "Champion" for their team, moving their projects forward between these noon meetings.
Wellness Curriculum
The wellness curriculum includes quarterly noon sessions focused on topics like nutrition, exercise, coping with grief and stress and other topics related to personal wellness; Fun Friday "free lunch hours" on the fifth Friday of the month; assistance from the OME regarding burnout, stress, depression or other concerns; formation of a spouse/significant other support group; and monthly community events. Additionally, “Resilience Rounds” gives residents the opportunity to debrief and process difficult events in either written or discussion format. These sessions are moderated by our clinical psychology staff who can also provide tips for coping with stress and building resilience.
Additional Conferences & Workshops
Crisis Management Program with Simulation
Pediatric residents participate in 2-4 simulated crisis management scenarios per academic year as part of our Crisis Management Program. We created numerous emergent scenarios that require residents to demonstrate skills in airway management and intubation, cardiac arrest and CPR, arrhythmia management and defibrillation, shock management, seizure management, needle thoracostomy, and more. These sessions include an orientation, the session itself, and a debriefing period. Assessment of knowledge, patient care, systems based practice, communication and team dynamics are completed by the team about themselves and the experience. The faculty preceptors and nurses involved also complete evaluations that are available to the resident for review.
Medical Education Distinction Track
The University of Louisville Pediatric Medical Education distinction track is a two and a half year longitudinal curriculum that weaves robust medical education, scholarly activity, elective rotations, mentoring, and focused educational experiences together to explore the role of pediatricians as educators. Residents interested in improving their skills and professional identity as clinician educators are encouraged to apply during the 2nd half of their intern year. Cohorts of 4-6 residents progress through the curriculum, collaborating in their learning and teaching.
Highlights of the Curriculum:
- Robust, mentored scholarly activity in self-identified Medical Education project.
- Tracks are opt-in: Because residents are not required to complete a distinction track in residency, members of each cohort will be motivated and passionate about medical education!
- We have set high expectations for our team to create great projects ready for conference and journal submission, while knowing that many residents have never performed a curriculum development project or studied educational outcomes. To reach out goals, quarterly meetings with medical education experts are held to share ideas, promote project movement, and introduce/teach principles of Med Ed scholarly activity. To show off their hard work, each resident will present a capstone presentation to the Department of Pediatrics in the Spring of their graduation year.
Didactics:
Track conference is held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Topics rotate throughout the year according to the interests or needs of the current group. Additionally, there are quarterly "All Track Conferences" on these days, where the Advocacy, Global Health, Medical Education, and Research Distinction Tracks get together for topics that span all areas of interest.
Asynchronous learning consists of a guided walkthrough of a Medical Education textbook (~1 chapter/article per month). These will be reviewed and discussed during the Spring Elective in a flipped classroom - style session.
Goals:
- To create a robust experience in medical education across multiple disciplines and platforms.
- To educate future academic physicians in adult learning theory through innovative curricula, committee involvement, and strong mentorship.
- To compose and disseminate meaningful scholarly activity in the area of medical education.
- To advance the University of Louisville residency program’s culture of learning and growth by developing leaders in education.
- To provide opportunities to apply developing knowledge and skills in medical student and resident educational programs.
Track Components and Requirements:
1. Mentorship
Medical Education mentor(s) will be assigned/chosen based upon area of interest.
2. Scholarly Activity
Participants will complete a scholarly activity project on a medical education topic. For project completion, the resident will be required to participate in Medical Education Scholarly Oversight Committee Meetings and submit this work to a local, regional or national platform, with expected presentation.
3. Didactics
a. Monthly, Medical Education Focused Workshops
b. Asynchronous Didactics (Podcasts, interesting medical education articles)
c. Medical Education Textbook Walkthrough
- 2021-2022 - "Kern's Curriculum Development" edited by Dr. David E. Kern, Dr. Patricia A. Thomas, and Dr. Mark T. Hughes
- 2022-2023 - "Researching Medical Education" edited by Dr. Jennifer Cleland and Dr. Steven J. Durning
- 2023-2024 - "Curriculum Development for Medical Education" edited by Dr. Patricia A. Thomas, Dr. David E. Kern, and Dr. Belinda Y. Chen
- 2024-2025 - "Researching Medical Education" edited by Dr. Jennifer Cleland and Dr. Steven J. Durning
4. Elective Rotations
Participants will have the opportunity to participate in an annual medical education elective (Medical Education Elective, Research in Medical Education Elective).
5. Medical Education Leadership, Presentation and Committee Involvement:
Track participants are expected to complete a medical education focused presentation at the department level during their final year of training. Additionally, they should have a significant contribution and/or leadership to a resident medical education committee or educational opportunity. These experiences could include the medical student education committee, teaching PBL to medical students, simulation education, oversight of 4th year medical student peer assisted learning program, among others.
6. Medical Education Portfolio
In the Spring of PGY-3, each participant will give a presentation which includes a summary of the following:
a. Scholarly project(s)
b. Educational presentations
c. Leadership activities and productivity in educational programs/initiatives.
d. Experience and outcomes of the Med Ed Elective
e. SMART goals
Residents who successfully complete the required elements will graduate with a certificate and letter of distinction from the track coordinator.
Other Leadership Opportunities for Residents
We encourage resident involvement on a wide variety of hospital and university committees as well as national organizations. Here are a few examples of additional opportunities within our program and university:
| Leadership Opportunity | Description |
|---|---|
| Resident Leadership Council (RLC) | Comprised of Pediatric and Med/Peds residents who are elected by their peers, the members of this council act as liaisons between the residents and program leadership in the Office of Medical Education (OME). These residents meet with the chief residents monthly, where they bring feedback from their fellow residents to the attention of the chief residents and program leadership. They directly participate in problem solving of any issues that arise during these meetings and also help relay important information from the OME to the residents. |
| House Staff Council | Two residents are elected to serve as Pediatrics representatives on a university-wide graduate medical education trainee council. (See more information) |
| Infection Control Committee | The Infection Control Committee is responsible for implementing the hospital infection control program. This includes the review and analysis of nosocomial infections and infection potentials, the promotion of a preventative and corrective program designed to minimize infection hazards and the supervision of infection control in all phases of the hospitals' activities. The Infection Control Program shall be designed to meet or exceed the current national standards in hospital infection control. |
| Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee | Optimizing the use of antibiotics is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harm caused by unnecessary antibiotic use, and combat antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic Stewardship Committee can help clinicians improve clinical outcomes and minimize harm by improving antibiotic prescribing. |
| Asthma Task Force | The Asthma Task Force monitors adherence to asthma guidelines, implements policies and procedures aimed at improving outcomes for patients with asthma within our healthcare system and our community. |
| Neonatal Services Committee | The Neonatal Services Committee shall be responsible for the appraisal of the newborn services at Norton Children's Hospital and the review of policies and procedures as it relates to this service. |
| Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee | Serve in an advisory capacity to the Medical Staff and Hospital Administration in all matters pertaining to the use of drugs, including investigational drugs. Develop the formulary of drugs accepted for use in Norton Children's Hospital (NCH) and provide for its constant revision. Establish suitable educational programs for NCH's professional staff on matters relating to drug use. Study problems relating to the distribution and administration of medications, including medication incidents. Review adverse drug reactions occurring in NCH. Advise the Pharmacy in the implementation and review of drug distribution and control procedures. Review the appropriateness, safety and effectiveness of the empiric, therapeutic, and prophylactic use of all drugs determined by assigned members of the Medical Staff to be pertinent to the age population that the hospital services. Evaluate and approve protocols concerning the use of investigational drugs. |
| Rescue Committee | This committee reviews all "Code 300" events and Rapid Response Team calls. The committee determines if the action take was appropriate by assesses the circumstances surrounding the events to determine if a further Root Cause Analysis is necessary. Also review all policies, procedures, and equipment involved in Code 300 or Rapid Response Team events. |
| Reaching for Zero Committee | This committee is composed of physicians, nurses, and administrative representatives from many different background and specialties. The members of the Reaching for Zero team have significant responsibility in move patient safety and outcome initiatives forward. This committee develops an agenda and offers solutions to help improve service to patients. |
| Bio-Ethics Committee | Offer confidential case review and non-binding recommendations for clinical situations in which family, staff or physicians are in conflict. Request for case review may be made by any member of the care team, patient or patient's guardian. Attending physician will be notified at the time of such request. Create educational opportunities to allow discussion and review of pertinent ethical issues. Provide a forum for review of hospital by-laws or policies and create/modify new policies in order to rectify reoccurring conflicts, clarify current procedures, or address emerging ethical concerns with the approval of the MEC. |
| University of Louisville Hospital - Nursery Advisory Committee | This committee is multi-disciplinary and is a forum used for discussing problems and investigating issues, as well as educational updates which will impact the care of the mother and newborn at University of Louisville Hospital. |
| Student Education Committee | This committee discusses issues surrounding the Pediatric rotations for medical students. They discuss and create educational initiatives to improve the medical student experience during Pediatric Clerkship. |
| Morbidity & Mortality Committee | Discuss recent cases with areas for improvement in patient care and choose an appropriate case for presentation at the monthly M&M conference. Identify specific learning points and system issues that should be addressed. Contact, in writing, residents and faculty members that will be presenting. Introduce each case and supervise the discussion. |
| Program Evaluation Committee | This committee meets prior to the residency recruitment season to review feedback from previous candidates and recommends changes to the recruitment process. After completion of interviews and once the preliminary rank list has been generated, the subcommittee meets to discuss and approve it. In late spring, this committee also convenes to review the results of the residents' assessments of the program (summaries of annual program reviews, ACGME survey results, and individual rotation evaluations, together with any other program evaluation results). These assessments are used to create an appropriate action plan to improve resident and faculty performance. The committee also reviews graduate performance on the certification examination to ensure compliance with local and national goals for taking the examination and passing it, modifying the action as appropriate. Activities of this committee are reported to the REC and program leadership every other month, including development, review, and follow-through on program improvement plans. |
| Recruitment Sub-Committee | Our recruitment champions help plan the interview day agenda; enlist residents to participate in candidate lunches and dinners; serve as key contacts for applicants to our residency program; and help determine key characteristics of residents in our program to target during interview day. |
| P.U.S.H. Executive Committee | Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health (P.U.S.H.) is a resident-led and resident-driven program that engages in both legislative work and community outreach. We have nine resident leaders elected by their peers annually and four faculty advisors who are very involved in the facilitation of the program. This executive team provides leadership for the PUSH program as a whole and represents the PUSH team in the community as well. This group seeks five interns to be at-large members of the PUSH Executive Committee team in order to encourage early involvement and leadership in child advocacy. |
| Resident Wellness Committee | The goal of this committee is to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of all pediatric residents at the University of Louisville, Department of Pediatrics. This group is responsible for empowering each resident to promote their personal health and to model positive attitudes that will further strengthen our committee to lifelong wellness. This group aims to provide residents with quarterly noon conference sessions focused on nutrition, exercise, coping with grief, stress, and other topics related to personal wellness; Organize quarterly happy hour sessions to correspond with the date of the noon conference to allow available residents the opportunity to relax and socialize; Assist residents needing assistance from the Office of Medical Education due to burnout, stress, depression, or other personal issues; Organize significant other support groups, orientation events, fitness challenges, and manage the wellness program calendar. |
Resident Wellness
Speaking of wellness, we're social beings and despite our awesome work ethics, we require fun downtime too. Whether it's a resident-organized outing or a program event, our residents know how to know have (but respectfully allow those who need to rest a pass). However, we know wellness is more than social events; program leadership and the Resident & Faculty Wellness Committee work hard to make sure wellness is interwoven throughout our curriculum and rotations.
Fun Fridays
Whenever there is a month with five Fridays, the fifth Friday is considered a Fun Friday! Our noon conference is transformed into a social gathering for residents to have lunch, play games, and relax together.
Resident and Faculty Appreciation
Our trainees and faculty work hard every day, so we go out of our way to appreciate them throughout the year with encouraging notes, special treats, and gift giveaways.
Battle Buddy Support Program
Each year we pair our incoming interns with an upper level resident who volunteers to be their Battle Buddy in hopes of tackling anxiety, depression, and physician fatigue. We recognize intern year is difficult, and many interns need help to get through their first year. By building a foundation for their support network through peer mentorship, our residents are able to help each other grow both personally and professionally.
Resident Retreats
Yearly, residents get the opportunity to go off-campus for their class retreat. While these retreats give residents the chance to discuss all aspects of the program and to gain exposure to the various academic, community, and rural career paths, it is also an opportunity for residents to have fun, relax, and bond with their peers. PGY-1 residents head to Red River Gorge; PGY-2 residents go to Berea; and PGY-3 residents kick back at various Kentucky distilleries.
Holiday Festivities
The winter holiday season is twice as nice with our annual holiday luncheon and afterhours holiday party. Food, music, and fun are prescribed at these festive events.
Graduation
After three years of working hard in our program, graduates celebrate their successes both with heartfelt laughs and tears of sadness as they say goodbye to the friends they've made along their journey through residency. Family and friends are invited to join the ceremony and celebration with food, music, and drinks - it's a night to remember!
Research
Throughout our program, our residents work with their faculty mentors on scholarly activity in a planned progression, building on ideas formulated during their intern year and culminating in a presentation for the entire Department of Pediatrics during their senior year. Prizes are awarded to the top projects in several categories. Winners are announced during the graduation ceremony among peers, faculty, family and friends.
The learning objectives of the scholarly project are to:
- Improve understanding of a particular subject area related to child health;
- Improve skills in critical review of the medical literature and understanding of research methods;
- Develop personal experience in the advancement of medical knowledge; and
- Develop improved foundations in one or more of the following:
1) advocacy or public health policy for children;
2) preparation for research requirements for subspecialty fellowships;
3) patient care quality improvement, and/or;
4) practice-based continuing medical education.
Throughout their training, residents develop these skills through various avenues, such as lectures, small-group sessions, and individual work with their mentors. Additionally, residents receive assistance identifying a mentor and project via a series of three Research Oversight Committee (ROC) meetings. At ROCs, residents initially give a brief overview of their career goals and potential scholarly interests, and peers and faculty are available to provide feedback, generate ideas, and build connections or network. As residents progress, ROCs provide a chance to give updates, seek guidance, and troubleshoot projects in an informal, non-threatening environment.
Our graduating residents and fellows presented scholarly activity projects to an esteemed panel of judges as well as University of Louisville and Norton Healthcare faculty, staff and trainees.
2025 Scholarly Activity Booklet
Additionally, a Research Track is available for residents interested in research-focused careers or accelerated exposure to research and scholarship.
Resident Research Track
The goal of the resident research distinction track is to foster meaningful, collaborative scholarly activity in the area of original research for resident trainees interested in an academic career or fellowship.
Goals:
- Guide development of a robust original research, quality improvement, or curriculum based project.
- Foster mentorship with research-oriented faculty.
- Educate residents on advanced research design and education topics, including evidence-based medicine.
- Prepare residents to submit an abstract to a local, regional, or national meeting and/or to submit a manuscript for publication.
Track Components and Requirements:
1. Mentorship
Research mentor(s) will be assigned or chosen based on the resident's area of interest.
2. Scholarly Activity
All residents will complete a scholarly project during their training. Required components of this project include:
a. IRB application
b. Meaningful participation in project design, data collection, analysis, and write-up.
c. Submission of scholarly work or to a local, regional, or national meeting or publication by the end of residency program.
3. Monthly Conferences and Workshops
a. Rotating 2-year curriculum, topics include: IRB application process, literature search, citation management software, advanced biostatistics, abstract and manuscript preparation, etc.
b. Quarterly group conferences and workshops with other distinction tracks.
Must attend at least 50% of these conferences or workshops
4. Semi-annual Scholarly Oversight Committee (SOC) Presentations
a. PGY-1 (Med/Peds PGY-1 or 2): potential project ideas; early design planning and feedback.
b. PGY-2 (Med/Peds PGY-2 or 3):
Fall - refining research idea and design
Spring - department-wide presentation of research concept (and any data collection)
c. PGY-3 (Med/Peds PGY-3 or 4): Data collection updates and final abstract/poster/manuscript preparation and presentation.
5. Research Elective
All residents may participate in a 2-4 week research elective during their training. Research track members are able to participate in additional elective time or may split their elective time into multiple blocks on their schedule to focus on research design vs. data collection.
Residents who successfully complete the required elements will graduate with a certificate and letter of distinction from the track coordinator.
Global Health Program
The University of Louisville has a long history of engagement in Global Health, dating back to the early 1990's initially with work in Eastern Europe. Uniquely, the University of Louisville has a separate Division and Endowed Chair for Pediatric Global Health. In 2010, the Division of International Pediatrics in collaboration with the Office of Medical Education established collaborative agreements between the University of Louisville and academic medical centers in both Ecuador and Ghana for resident rotations abroad. In 2018, we launched our Distinction Track in Pediatric Global Health.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the international movement to decolonize our global health partnerships have led to significant efforts to re-evaluate our approach to global health. During the pandemic, travel was suspended, yet our global health team remained active and implemented a 2-week intensive "Fundamentals of Global Health" elective experience. This unique elective includes a mix of discussions of health imbalances and colonialism in global health, clinical tropical medicine topics, refugee health clinic sessions, a half day simulation exercise, ethics case discussions, and a practical hands-on global health skills night. Now that the international travel for residents has resumed, this elective has become our primary pre-departure orientation and training course for residents who wish to work abroad with our partners in Tamale Teaching Hospital in Northern Ghana. This course is open to all residents, both those hoping to work in Ghana as well as residents who wish to deepen their understanding of pediatric global health issues.
In 2023, through the efforts of our Pediatric Global Health team, the University of Louisville has joined the AMPATH Global Health Consortium. AMPATH (The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) is one of the best regarded academic global health collaborative groups in the world. The University of Louisville has made significant contributions to this group as the current leader of collaborative pediatric projects in Tamale, Ghana. Through collaboration with AMPATH, we hope to significantly expand the scope and depth of our partnerships in Ghana and beyond.
Fundamentals of Global Health Rotation
Please note: this is only a sample template for our Fundamentals of Global Health elective. Specific dates, times, and topics vary based on the specific interest of residents participating in the elective and on faculty availability.
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International Rotation - Tamale, Ghana
The primary goal of this rotation is to develop a global perspective on child health through the practice of medicine in a less financially resourced practice setting. Below are the specific goals we aim to achieve.
- To provide hands-on experience in international child health for residents;
- To encourage the development of professional values and skills as global pediatricians;
- To develop a global perspective on child health through the practice of medicine in a resource limited healthcare setting;
- To improve history taking and physical exam skills through clinical experience in a setting where there is less availability of diagnostic testing;
- To build medical knowledge through exposure to a variety of infectious, gastrointestinal, nutritional and other diseases seen more frequently in historically exploited nations;
- To experience a unique and different healthcare system;
- To develop professional values through exposure to different philosophies of medical ethics, patient-provider relationships, and child rights;
- To acquire the attitude and skills necessary to provide initial assessments of the health care needs of children from other cultural or ethnic backgrounds;
- To acquire the knowledge to provide basic pre-travel care for patients traveling to other regions of the world (i.e. vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, counseling regarding safe food and water, etc.).
The residents participating in this rotation will serve as health care providers at a level similar to their training in the United States. Residents will be supervised by both U.S. and Ghanaian Faculty Members. Residents will partner closely with our medical officers and resident physician colleagues in Ghana.
All residents participating in international electives will have the opportunity (and expectation) to complete our 2-week Fundamentals of Global Health elective which serves in part as our intensive preparatory training course for residents working abroad.
Residents will also attend post-trip debrief and reflection sessions led by global health faculty members.
Eligibility:
- Pediatric or Combined Medicine-Pediatric Residents having completed their internship (PGY-1);
- Pre-Departure Training: residents must have completed the 2-week elective course "Fundamentals of Global Health" rotation prior to travel;
- All participants must currently be a resident in "good standing" as defined by our Clinical Competency Committee;
- Up-to-date on all aspects of compliance for residents according to ACGME requirements including medical records, duty hour logging, evaluations, and conference participation.
For any questions, please contact Dr. Jackson Williams (e-mail) or at (502)852-3782.
Global Health Distinction Track
For residents with a more defined interest in global health, the resident program has offered a Global Health Distinction Track since 2018.
Goals:
- To gain a deep understanding of worldwide health and economic imbalances, with an emphasis on the historic roots of these issues;
- To develop a broad knowledge of the global burden of pediatric diseases, with special attention paid to common causes of pediatric mortality, vaccine preventable diseases, mosquito borne infections, and neglected tropical diseases;
- To gain an appreciation of issues related to public health, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity;
- To maintain and foster a passion for partnering with populations who face limited access to health care and health care resources.
Track Components and Requirements:
1. Elective rotations
- Fundamentals of Global Health (2-week rotation)
- International Elective in Tamale, Ghana (or other AMPATH sites)
2. Core Curriculum Noon Conference Topics (Rotating 18-month curriculum)
- Social and Economic Determinants of Health
- Global Burden of Disease (Global Health 101)
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases
- Malaria
- Refugee Health Issues
- Global Health as Public Health
3. Optional Web-based Modules (available if unable to attend our in-person educational sessions)
- Global burden of non-communicable diseases
- Impact of global child health on the U.S. communities
- Environmental impact on global child health
- Approach to internationally adopted children
- Water-borne and vector-borne illnesses/neglected tropical diseases
- Approach to fever in low-resource settings
- Approach to non-infectious emergencies in low-resource settings
- Malnutrition
4. Travel preparation and post-travel debriefing
5. Global Health Seminars (monthly noon conference series for track residents)
- Journal Clubs
- Ethics Case Sessions
- Guest Speaker Seminars
- Case Presentations
- Critical Reflections regarding various aspects of global child health (medical, cultural, ethical, etc.)
- Workshops
6. Critical Reflections on Global Health Experiences
This is a requirement of the Distinction Track and for any residents participating in international electives. Reflection question suggestions will be provided by our core global health faculty.
7. Scholarly Activity Component
All residents participating in the Global Health Distinction Track are required to complete a scholarly project related to global child health, health inequities, or healthcare issues of marginalized populations. Scholarly activity may be related to our international programs or may pertain to local issues of health equity which affect populations here in Kentucky.
All Global Health opportunities are available to all residents, regardless of track participation. However, if there is limited space for some experiences (such as our international rotations) then priority is given to our global health track participants.
P.U.S.H. (Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health)
Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health (PUSH) is a resident-led, resident-driven advocacy group that promotes child health at the local, state, and national level through legislative and community outreach. We collaborate with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), State of Kentucky, local schools, and community partners. PUSH leaders host the program’s monthly advocacy conference and help curate the advocacy curriculum and facilitate discussion of relevant topics in children’s health alongside our faculty advisors. Residents with a particular interest in advocacy can join PUSH for more robust advocacy training and experience.
PUSH’s involvement spans from managing a garden for the local food bank to talking to our senators in Washington, DC about issues impacting the health of our children. Every year, we send a large group of residents to Children’s Day at the Capitol and 3-4 residents to the AAP Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. We also host a friendly resident competition called the “Tri-Resident Cup” each year. Our 2021 Tri-Resident Cup resulted in nearly 1700 canned goods donated to our resident clinic food pantries as well as Dare to Care, 4,400 books donated to our clinics, 200 emails/calls to our legislators, and $1050 for community safety equipment as an excellent turn out and participation from our residents! We were the proud recipients of the Leonard P. Rome CATCH Visiting Professorship Grant for 2019-2020 and had the pleasure of working with Dr. Ben Hoffman to strengthen our advocacy training, increase the sustainability of our projects, and enhance collaboration within our community. 
PUSH celebrated a year full of advocacy in 2022-2023!
- Smoketown Community Garden
- Lexi Memorial - 5K for Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
- Tri-Resident Cup
- Mask for Kids Campaign (see photo)
- Family Scholar House Pack-A-Backpack
- Increasing awareness for online reading and book options to families in resident clinics.
- Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol
- University of Louisville School of Medicine Gun Violence Prevention Week
- Norton Children's & Hospital Week: Building Healthy Superheroes
Other advocacy events have included:
- Southwest Kindergarten ReadyFest
- Norton's Splash 'n Dash
- Family Resource & Youth Service Centers Back to School Fest
- Smoketown Family Wellness Neighborhood Celebration
- Smoketown Trunk or Treat
We are looking forward to another great year of advocacy!
Meet Our Team
Title | Current Member(s) | Position Description |
Co-Presidents |
| Presidents will work together to help create the framework for PUSH. Tasks Include:
|
Co-Presidents Elect | Lauren Finkelstein Lakyn Montero | The Presidents-Elect utilize their year to learn how the organization runs, get to know community partners, and act as additional support to the executive committee. |
Executive Committee | Monica Acosta Rea Rupani Sarah Mahonski | The executive committee works together to engage various local and community partners to facilitate outreach events and projects. This committee also works as a liaison between our advocacy group and our Kentucky state legislators. Tasks Include:
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Faculty Advisors | Brit Anderson Allie Black |
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Child Advocacy Track
The University of Louisville Child Advocacy Distinction Track is a longitudinal experience that weaves an advocacy scholarly project, elective rotations, and focused workshop experiences together to explore the role of pediatricians as advocacy and child health leaders.
Goals
- To create a robust experience in advocating for children on multiple population levels (individual, hospital/clinic, local, state, and national).
- To educate future leaders in child advocacy through innovative curricula, committee involvement and strong mentorship.
- To foster and disseminate meaningful scholarly activity in child advocacy.
- To improve the health and well-being of children in our community through physician development and leadership.
- To provide an avenue to grow as a resident through advocacy, while still allowing broad focus on all aspects of resident education.
Distinction Track Components
1. Mentorship
a. Drafting an AAP-CATCH grant (Due January of PGY-2)
b. Completion of an advocacy/community health scholarly activity in a topic of the resident's choosing during training.
c. Presentation of scholarly activity at a local, regional, or national platform in the spring of PGY-3.
Advocacy mentor(s) will be assigned/chosen based upon area of interest.
2. Topic Focused Workshops
a. Fundamentals of Working with a Community (including needs assessment and asset mapping)
b. Literature Review
c. Grant writing
d. Leadership
e. Health Policy
f. Media and Writing
g. Advocacy Journal Club
h. Advocacy beyond residency - SMART goals
(participation in at least six is required)
3. Electives
a. Participants in child advocacy track can elect Poverty and Social Justice, Global Health, Forensics, or Advanced Advocacy as an elective rotation (dependent upon career goals).
b. Can apply for national conferences including AAP legislative conference.
4. Leadership
a. Track participants are expected to have a leadership role in the resident-led advocacy program PUSH (Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health). This can include:
- President or other officer
- Committee member (community or legislative)
- Children's Day organizer
- Project leader or event organizer
b. Opportunity to create an advocacy learning module (podcast, blackboard module, etc.) on a topic of their choice.
c. Establish or continue a relationship with a community partner. This can be individualized to the resident's career goals and should demonstrate how a pediatrician (either general or subspecialty) can be a lifelong advocate. Examples include: a group home, school, Medicaid, AAP chapter, etc. This relationship can be part of the scholarly project but not have to be.
5. Advocacy Portfolio
In the spring of the resident's PGY-3, each participant will give a 20-minute presentation which includes a summary of the following:
a. Scholarly project
b. Advocacy writing/Advocacy policy background and strategy
c. Community partner report
d. SMART goal
Residents who successfully complete the required elements will graduate with a certificate and letter of distinction from the track coordinator.
Current Residents:
First Year Residents | Second Year Residents | Third Year Residents
Internal Medicine Pediatric Residents
2025-2026 Doctor Richard. S. Wolf Chief Residents
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Undergrad: Indiana University | Bloomington, IN
Medical School: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine | Indianapolis, IN
Personal Interests: Making/drinking coffee, listening to true crime podcasts, reading by the pool, spending time with my nephew, and snuggling with my cat Nugget!
Shelby Meshinski, MD (she/her/hers)
Hometown: Macomb, MI
Undergrad: Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI
Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine | Saginaw, MI
Personal Interests: Reading, all things reality TV, Disney, boating and being on the water. I enjoy spending time with my family (including my fiancé, Michael + 2 dogs).
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Undergrad: Centre College | Danville, KY
Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine | Louisville, KY
Personal Interests: Spending time with my family, friends, and dog; hosting game nights; baking new recipes or trying new restaurants around Louisville; lake days; and being a part of my church community.
Graduate Job Placement
We’re proud of having 100% placement for our graduates – from prestigious fellowships to private practice, our residents graduate from our program with a successful start in their careers as pediatricians.
2025 Pediatric Residency Alumni
| Resident | Post-Residency Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ana Alvarez, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Dermatology | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Cincinnati, OH |
| Kelly Antoine, MD | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Jeffers Mann & Artman Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Wake Forest, NC |
| Megan Bath, DO | 2025-2026 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Sagorika Bera, MD | Community Hospitalist | Indiana University Health Bloomington, IN |
| Tiffany Brooks, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology | University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI |
| Phillip Chuong, MD | Emergency Department Clinician | Norton Children's Hospital Louisville, KY |
| Ashley Dean, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Cardiology | Indiana University Indianapolis, IN |
| Abby Gellert, MD | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Josie Gilkeson, DO | Emergency Department Clinician | Norton Children's Hospital Louisville, KY |
| Heidi Gorbandt, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine | University of Chicago Chicago, IL |
| Emme Granger, MD | Private Practice, General Pediatrician | All IN Pediatrics New Albany, IN |
| Taylor Kavanaugh, DO | Fellowship, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Hasna Khandekar, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Emergency Medicine | The University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL |
| Trace Kimler, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Emergency Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Kyle McQuaide, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Hospital Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Ryan Morales, DO | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Jessica Mutters-Morales, DO | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Kaplan Barron Pediatrics Louisville, KY |
| Shelby Reese, MD | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Children's Physicians - University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE |
| Morgan Robinson, MD | 2025-2026 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville Louisville, KY |
| Savannah Schneider, DO | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | South Louisville Pediatrics Louisville, KY |
| Marina Shenouda, DO | Fellowship, Pediatric Gastroenterology | University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA |
| Natalie Shipley, MD | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Norton Children's Medical Group - Pleasure Ridge Park Louisville, KY |
| Mehma Singh, DO | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | University of Rochester Rochester, NY |
| Kyle Welhouse, MD | Fellowship, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology | University of Wisconsin Madison, WI |
2024 Pediatric Residency Alumni
| Resident | Post-Residency Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Alexander, M.D. | Fellowship, Pediatric Pulmonology | Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Cleveland, Ohio |
| Emily Allen, D.O. | 2024-2025 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Alexandra Anderson, D.O. | Faculty, Pediatric Hospitalist | Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Kristen Belford, M.D. | Faculty, Newborn Hospitalist | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Leticia Dirks, M.D. | Private Practice, General Pediatrician | Pediatric and Adolescent Associates Lexington, Kentucky |
| Madison Farley, M.D. | Fellowship, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina |
| Ally Howard, M.D. | 2024-2025 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Jerry Julian, D.O. | Fellowship, Pediatric Endocrinology | University of Louisville |
| Ashley Klein, D.O. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Children's Medical Center Palm Harbor, Florida |
| Josh Lee, M.D. | Fellowship, Pediatric Pulmonology | Emory University Atlanta, Georgia |
| Allison Marks, M.D. | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Kaitlyn Middaugh, M.D. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Norton Children's Medical Group - Middletown Louisville, Kentucky |
| Jessica Nelms, M.D. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Norton Children's Medical Group - Broadway Louisville, Kentucky |
| Anna Nelson, D.O. | Fellowship, Pediatric Hospital Medicine | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Bill Ngha, M.D. | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, Ohio |
| Libby Nields, M.D. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Primary Pediatrics Florence, Kentucky |
| Chandni Patel, M.D. | Pediatric Urgent Care Emergency Department Clinician | Sanford Children's Hospital - Fargo, South Dakota M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital - Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Jessika Purcell, D.O. | Private Practice, General Pediatrician | Leitchfield Pediatrics Leitchfield, Kentucky |
| Kristin Schutzman, M.D. | Faculty, General Pediatrician | Norton Children's Medical Group - Stonestreet Louisville, Kentucky |
| Molly Stinnett, M.D. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Norton Children's Medical Associates - Okolona Louisville, Kentucky |
| Victoria Thompson, D.O. | Fellowship, Pediatric Endocrinology | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Dylan Vish, M.D. | 2024-2025 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Becky Von Handorf, M.D. | Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky |
| Kaitlyn West, D.O. | Group Practice, General Pediatrician | Owensboro Health Children's Center Owensboro, Kentucky |
| Paris Yamek, M.D. | Private Practice, General Pediatrician | VIP Children's Clinic Hendersonville, Tennessee |
2023 Pediatric Residency Alumni
| Resident | Post-Residency Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy Aldridge, D.O. | 2023-2024 Dr. Richard S. Wolf Chief Resident & Lecturer | University of Louisville, |
| Colleen Allen, D.O. | Private Practice Group | Monument Avenue Pediatrics |
| Amelia Balderston, D.O. | Private Practice Group | Children's Clinic Ltd. |
| Kaquanta Barlow, M.D. | Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship | University of California, Davis Davis, California |
| Clare Batty, M.D. | Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Maggie Chang, M.D. | Private Practice Group | Norton Children's Hospital Louisville, Kentucky |
| Noell Conley-Hamlin, D.O. | Hospital Medicine Fellowship | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Juan Gallegos, D.O. | Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship | University of Texas Austin, Texas |
| Rose Hawkins, M.D. | Pulmonology Fellowship | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Kelley Hillman, M.D. | Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship | University of Oklahoma |
| Valarie Hummel, M.D. | Hospitalist | Palm Beach Children's Hospital - Kidz Medical Services |
| Amber Hussain, M.D. | Child Abuse Fellowship | Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Renuka Jain, M.D. | Private Practice Group | Anderson Hills Pediatrics |
| Veronica Lee, D.O. | Gastroenterology Fellowship | University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Megan Lloyd, M.D. | Group Practice | All IN Pediatrics New Albany, Indiana |
| Ben Lyvers, M.D. | Emergency Medicine Fellowship | University of Louisville |
| Laura Mims, D.O. | Hematology/Oncology Fellowship | Primary Children's Hospital Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Kaitlyn Newton, M.D. | Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship | University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky |
| Andrea Nicholson, D.O. | Palliative Care Fellowship | Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, Ohio |
| Patrick O'Donnell, M.D. | Private Practice Group | Texas Children's Pediatrics - Capitol Pediatric Group Austin, Texas |
| Kyndall Smith, M.D. | Pulmonology Fellowship | Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, Ohio |
| Colin Stone, M.D. | Critical Care Fellowship | Medical College of Georgia Augusta, Georgia |
| Andrew Van Hersh, D.O. | Allergy/Immunology Fellowship | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia |
| Ethan Wall Varner, M.D. | Private Practice Group | Coastal Pediatric Associates Charleston, South Carolina |
Louisville is a great place to live!
Living in Louisville
- CNBC top city with happiest workers
- Top 40 US city to watch for overall real estate prospects
- Learn all about the different neighborhoods in the greater Louisville area and what makes them unique
- Nationally accredited park system, includes parks designed by Frederick Olmstead, the designer of Central Park in NYC. We have the Largest urban park extension on the continent and a 100 mile bike loop.
- Nation's largest municipal forest
- Waterfront Park voted #1 Best Riverwalk in the US - USA Today 2025
Culture and Entertainment
- Muhammad Ali Center, a non-profit museum and cultural center dedicated to boxer Muhammad Ali
- The Louisville Zoo currently exhibits more than 1,100 animals on 130 acres of natural settings representing zoogeographical areas, specific habitat types or special education areas
- Seek to inspire your curiosity, build visual literacy, and foster a greater awareness at the Speed Art Museum
- North America's largest annual pyrotechnics show, Thunder Over Louisville
- Home to the Kentucky Center, which hosts nationally-touring Broadway shows
- KFC Yum! Center hosts major musical and entertainment concerts
- Largest collection of Victorian homes in the U.S. and the third largest historically preserved district in the U.S. (Old Louisville)
- GQ's 2012 Manliest City in America
Sports
- Churchill Downs and the fastest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby
- Lou City FC, part of the United Soccer League
- University of Louisville Cardinals
2017 football Governor's Cup winners
2018 NCAA final four, ACC conference champions, women's basketball
2017 ACC conference champions, NCAA regional champions, men's baseball
2020-2021 Louisville Cardinals Year in Review - Louisville Bats - a triple A team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds
- Racing FC
How to Apply
Visiting Student Rotation
We are seeking fourth year medical students for a visiting student rotation opportunity at the University of Louisville, Department of Pediatrics.
Mentorship/Meetings: Students will be paired with a resident mentor who will meet with them weekly. Additionally, students will be paired with a factor mentor who will meet with the student twice during their visiting rotation. Finally, students will have an introductory meeting with the Pediatric Residency Program Director during their rotation.
Rotation: The rotation will be four weeks in duration. Students can complete a rotation in the Norton Children's Medical Group Novak Center outpatient general pediatrics clinic, clinical service with the Just for Kids Pediatric Hospitalist group, or an available pediatric subspecialty.
Stipend: While any student can complete a visiting rotation with us, two applicants will be chosen to receive a $2500 stipend which can be spent as applicants deem appropriate to cover housing, travel, or other expenses related to the rotation. Stipend recipients will be chosen by a committee who reviews and scores application questions. Students will be required to complete a 1099 form and submit their name, address, and social security number to receive their stipend.
Criteria for Eligible Applicants
- Must be pursuing a medical degree at an LCME or COCA-accredited medical school.
- Maintains good academic standing at their current medical school.
- Have successfully completed a core clerkship in pediatrics.
- Planning to apply for a residency program in Pediatrics, Child Neurology, or Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
- Live outside the Louisville metro area.
This visiting student rotation is open to all eligible students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.
Application Process
Students may apply through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunity (VSLO).
Departments begin reviewing applications on July 1.
For questions or more information, contact us.