Rotations

"The X+Y schedule allows residents to focus on their “X” rotations without running back and forth to continuity clinic, and they have class specific “Y” weeks every 4 weeks that include time for longitudinal rotations, wellness and more outpatient continuity. It also allows us to offer more flexibility with vacation timing. I would have loved this schedule as a resident!"

-Dr. Bridget Voigt, Program Director

X+Y scheduling allows residents to have dedicated inpatient and elective time during X weeks. On Y weeks residents have continuity clinic, acute care, an academic half day, and protected weekday time off. This also allows residents to have longitudinal rotations including advocacy, behavioral and mental health, and medical education. Below you will find how many weeks throughout the year you will work a certain unit. If you want to know more about each unit, there are descriptions at the bottom of the page!

Rotation Information
 

General Inpatient Pediatric Unit

On this rotation, residents gain experience in the inpatient management of general pediatric, subspecialty and surgical patients. Admissions vary from healthy children with acute health problems to caring for medically complex patients with chronic disease. There are two teams, both comprised of an intern paired with a senior resident.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

In the PICU, residents manage our highest acuity patients by working directly with our pediatric intensivists. Residents focus on the fundamentals of management for a range of pathology including complex congenital heart disease to respiratory failure. Residents direct daily interdisciplinary rounds with residents, nursing, dietitians, pharmacists and respiratory therapists. The lower acuity team is made up of an intern paired with a senior resident, and the high acuity team is made up of three senior residents.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

In our level 3 NICU, residents provide high acuity care for preterm and medically complex infants including those with prenatally diagnosed anomalies, referred from Rush’s Fetal and Neonatal Medicine Program. Residents gain proficiency in neonatal resuscitation by attending deliveries on a daily basis. Our NICU contains 60-beds and our NICU transport team accepts transfer for surrounding community hospitals for patients needing high-level subspecialty care. Residents work on an interdisciplinary team of fellows, nutritionists, respiratory therapists, neonatal nurse practitioners and pharmacists.

Emergency Department

Residents work day and evening shifts in the Rush Emergency Department alongside emergency medicine residents and pediatric emergency medicine trained physicians. This rotation provides residents with hands-on experience with laceration repairs, phlebotomy, IV insertion, splinting, urine catheterizations, and foreign body removal. During their PL-2 year, residents rotate at Lurie Children’s Hospital to gain experience at a stand-alone pediatric emergency room.

General Care Nursery

In our GCN, residents care for all healthy newborns born at Rush, progressing their skills in the newborn exam, routine newborn management and educating parents in newborn care. Residents also attend deliveries and perform neonatal resuscitation. Infants from our GCN often follow residents into their continuity clinics! The resident team is comprised of an intern and senior resident pair.

PL-1 specific rotations

Advocacy

As one of our longitudinal rotations built into the Y weeks, residents venture into the community to learn about the resources that support the children and families of Chicago throughout the year.  Residents shadow the Child Protective Services team, meet with child life specialists and visit the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to learn how to advocate for children’s health. They visit local food pantries, WIC offices, a 911 call center and several chronic care facilities. Residents also travel to homeless shelters along with attendings from our primary continuity clinic to provide care to children in need.

Adolescent medicine

On Adolescent Medicine, residents rotate through a variety of outpatient clinics including the Cook County HIV CORE center, school-based clinics and Sports Medicine clinic. Residents hone their skills in counseling teens about sexual health and performing routine adolescent health screenings in a diverse patient population. 

Development and Behavior

Residents work alongside Development and Behavior specialists in their clinics at Rush, learning how to evaluate and diagnose children with abnormal development and behaviors. Residents also visit several therapeutic schools for children with developmental delays, sensory sensitivities and other special needs to learn about how therapies can optimize a child’s social and emotional development.