Ashley Orr, PGY1 Pediatrics
Growing up in Indiana, my family like many others had a Riley story. What's amazing about all these stories is that while none of these families anticipated being connected to Riley, the common theme was always compassionate care. Being able to call myself a Riley resident is something not taken lightly, the immense sense of responsibility and privilege in my position cannot be overstated. The exceptional training offered with every subspecialty represented, the investment in professional development, and incredible leadership set this program a part. When I look at the residency program I see a diverse group of individuals committed to creating a brighter future for the children of Indiana and beyond.
The residency program champions feedback at all levels. I appreciate the willingness to challenge the status quo and development of new protocols and systems when there are identified areas of improvement. The intentional effort to support wellness and mental health resonated during difficulty rotations. Specifically, during PICU and Heme/Onc there was intentional time set a part to debrief the rotation as a whole or particularly difficult scenarios with additional resources offered outside the group setting. This coupled with opt out counseling showcases the investment in resident well-being.
Indianapolis is a big city with a small-town feel. I love that I am able to live in an affordable home with a backyard for my dog and still be only ten minutes from the hospital. There is no shortage of coffee shops to explore, athletic events, or things to do at any point in the year. My dog loves to explore Broad Ripple and stop in at Three Dog Bakery. Additionally, there are incredible running events around the city including the Mini Marathon in May, various 5ks throughout the year, and a decent number of running clubs. Every year a highlight for my family is going to see Winterlights at Newfields and attending the Yuletide celebration at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra!
While there are many exceptional pediatric programs throughout the country, you will not find a greater sense of community or more impressive groups of individuals than those who call Riley home.
Megan Parod, PGY2 Pediatrics
I chose the IU School of Medicine Pediatric Residency program because I completed a visiting student rotation and was able to see, firsthand, the well-rounded training that residents were receiving. I was looking for a large program that would expose me to a wide variety of patients, subspecialties, and clinical scenarios and found the pediatrics program at IU School of Medicine to include each of those things. Every person that I interacted with as a learner was invested in my success and my experience as a resident has been no different!
Our faculty and fellows are truly invested in our learning and go above and beyond to provide us with learning experiences whenever possible. Our program leadership has also been incredibly receptive to our feedback as residents and are always willing to make changes to improve our experience within the program.
I think the size of Indy is perfect! It's busy enough to host many sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc. while small enough that those events are accessible, affordable, and easy to get to. Indianapolis also has many great suburbs with great restaurants and shopping to explore as well. I love walking/running/biking on the Monon, walking around downtown and the Canal, exploring local restaurants and coffee shops and visiting our outdoor concert venues.
Sam Shaffer, PGY3 Pediatrics
I initially chose to apply to IU School of Medicine because I knew I would receive excellent training. Riley Hospital for Children has almost every pediatric subspecialty which was perfect for me because I did not know what I wanted to do after residency. Having access to so many areas of pediatrics from primary care to cardiology to neonatal intensive care units proved invaluable. My interview experience propelled IU School of Medicine to the top of my rank list. The faculty were so welcoming and eager to get to know me on a more personal level. During the resident social hour, it was clear how tight-knit the residents were. Even the ones who were at work seemed like they were having fun.
Our program is extremely responsive to resident feedback! As a program, we have gone through numerous changes since I started. We have townhall meetings hosted by our program director where we can share what we think is working well and what needs to be changed. Twenty-eight-hour call shifts were eliminated based on resident feedback. A more robust night-float system was created to replace many 24-hour-shifts with resident input. Residents also played key roles in adjustments to noon conference, jeopardy call system, meal card money distribution, and clinic schedules amongst other things. These are important changes that significantly impact resident well-being.
I live very close to Riley and walk to work most days. I can also walk to multiple grocery stores and dozens of awesome restaurants. Indianapolis is very easy to get around. Residents live all over the city and can easily commute to work by foot, bike, bus or car. The Indianapolis airport is consistently ranked one of the best airports in the country so traveling is a breeze. I love rock-climbing and Indianapolis has multiple bouldering, top-rope and lead-climbing gyms. There are also numerous state and local parks within an hour of Indy which are great for quick day hikes or even weekend camping trips. The annual Pride parade and festival are both a ton of fun and occur right downtown. Mass Ave is the heart of downtown Indy and has tons of great restaurants and locally owned businesses.
Alexandra LaMotta, PGY3 Pediatrics
I chose this residency program because Riley Hospital for Children is second to none in the state of Indiana. I knew that I would be training at a hospital that is truly the focal point of the state. I would get the patient volume and complexity to make the most of my training and become a well-rounded and competent pediatrician.
Our program does an incredible job at listening to and implementing resident feedback. Our program director truly cares about us and has made strides each year to continually better the program. Our program leadership is transparent and works with individual residents to ensure we get the most our of our training to launch us into successful careers.
Indianapolis and the surrounding suburbs offer an affordable cost of living, incredible school/neighborhoods to raise families, and a fantastic location to practice medicine. I enjoy taking my golden retriever for long walks on the Monon! My husband and I have had a blast attending sporting events and concerts at Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Michael Harding, PGY3 Pediatrics
As an alum of IU School of Medicine, I gained an appreciation for the residency program and Riley Hospital during medical school. When interviewing at other residency programs throughout the country, I further realized how many great opportunities are here at Riley. There is a wide array of experiences, mentors and clinical expertise that can be found here which was difficult to match. Riley Hospital gives you an open path to explore all medical subspecialities and mentorship for clinical and non-clinical pathways.
I think the program does an outstanding job of listening and implementing changes brought up by residents. Residents have an active voice that the program cultivates and makes timely adjustments to the program to accommodate the concerns of the resident. The program does a fantastic job of connecting residents with career mentors early in their residency, which is a testament to the broad diversity of medical subspecialities and community partnerships at Riley Hospital.
Indianapolis is a great city! There are many of the amenities of living in a large city with unique city activities happening weekly, from farmers markets to festivals. My favorite Indianapolis events are the Indy 500 and the Indiana State Fair. These are two paramount events that happen annually in Indianapolis and must-see experiences for everyone who comes through Indiana. Throughout the year, I like to spend time with my co-residents exploring the restaurants of the city. Indianapolis has several sports teams and is a vibrant part of the city culture, basketball is a part of the identity of Indiana. I attend several Pacers and Fever games throughout the year with my co-residents.
Christy M. Loke, DO, Alum
I absolutely loved being a resident at IU School of Medicine Riley Hospital for Children. The experiences and knowledge I gained every single day helped me become the pediatrician I strive to be. I was looking for a program that had patient care, education and genuine kindness as core values, and this describes the program perfectly. I also wanted to be exposed to amazing primary and subspecialty care pediatricians to be able to provide care to all types of patients. The staff and program leadership wanted to assist in any way they could to help me achieve my goals. I am not originally from Indianapolis, but I absolutely love this city. I loved spending my free time discovering new restaurants (that are all vegetarian friendly), walking to my favorite yoga studio, taking my dog on walks on the canal and getting together with my co-residents (who are also some of my best friends) after work! My husband was also a medical student in Indianapolis. This city has so much to offer, and choosing to stay here to train at IU School of Medicine was never a question in my mind!
Jorge Gonzales Cordova, MD, Alum
I can say with certainty that applying here was one of the best decisions of my life. Our program truly cares about its residents, and they were continually assessing our needs and interests to maximize our training. Riley Hospital is such an extraordinary place to learn about a wide variety of patients, given that we have all pediatrics subspecialties on campus. I had the opportunity to create strong bonds with patients and their families, particularly in my clinic, where I saw a very diverse population. IU School of Medicine is a very inclusive place where everyone is welcomed. This is reflected in our program and how welcoming they are to foreign medical graduates like myself. I was honored to train in such an impressive academic medical center.