Pediatrics Residency

I recommend the VTC Pediatric Residency to help you become a great all around pediatrician.  Even if your goals are subspecialty care, a very solid base in general pediatrics will set you up for success in your career and your fellowship.  I went into residency looking for training that would prepare me for a traditional practice style for my goals of rural healthcare.  I always liked the practice model of seeing children for well checks, in the hospital for deliveries, consulting in the ED and managing them on the hospital floor as well.  Having a residency with a good foundation in pediatric psychiatry, outpatient, and inpatient/critical care developed the skills I needed to be comfortable being the only pediatrician around in a very rural area.  Without subspecialty fellows, I got hands on management of complex patients working directly with the subspecialist attendings.  This close knit working relationship between residents and attendings fostered a family-like atmosphere that never made you feel as if you were in over your head or on your own without backup.  I still keep in contact with the attendings I trained with for tough consult questions and catching up on our lives.  

Residency training is tough anywhere you go, so having a place to feel relaxed and unwind is key as well.  Roanoke has all the big city amenities with a smaller town feel.  There is hiking nearby, D1 college sports just down the road, lots of craft breweries and some small wineries around, a great children's science museum downtown, and even a busy farmers market for local goods and produce.  It's easy to navigate around and you're never late for rounds due to traffic.  I interviewed at many different programs from EVMS to MUSC all along the east coast, but the combination of Roanoke and VTC made my decision clear.  Another deciding factor in choosing VTC was its close relationship to my Alma Mater, Virginia Tech, and their residency perk of football and basketball tickets when you have a free weekend.  I may have moved away from the area but still fire up the grill on weekends and watch the Hokies on mountain time.  I now work in a very rural area in Eastern Montana managing a diverse range of pediatric patients with a wide array of complexity.  I attribute my success in my career and the successes of my patients to the training I received in Roanoke at the Virginia Tech - Carilion Pediatric Residency Program.
 

As a 4th year medical student, I had an opportunity to audition at both small and large pediatric residency programs. When I was a Sub-I in the PICU at Carilion Children's, I was most impressed by how invested the attendings were in each resident's education. In addition, I could sense that most of the residents felt very comfortable with approaching any attending or specialist with questions or concerns. I was especially attracted to a smaller program because I wanted to get to know each of my co-residents personally and also get to work with most of them during various rotations. I was exposed to all the available pediatric subspecialties as a resident which has been an invaluable resource especially as a practicing hospitalist in a small community hospital. I also had the pleasure to work with and get to know other pediatric caregivers including pediatric nurses, transport team and respiratory therapists. I felt very supported even as a young intern. I was looking for a program that will become my family away from home. After four years (I served as a chief resident) at Carilion Children's, not only did I gain colleagues that I deeply respect and admire, but I have also created long lasting personal connections. More importantly, I felt that this program has well-prepared me to become a competent and caring pediatrician.

I loved my time at Carilion Children's, and I hope you strongly consider the residency program. There are many things that I loved about my time in Roanoke. The attendings were extremely supportive, and as a resident, you are able to care for your patients from admission to discharge. The only fellows are in Child Psychiatry, otherwise, you are working directly with your attendings and specialists. This allows you to learn from your cases in a unique, hands-on manner that is unlike many larger programs. I have found this extremely valuable thus far in my career. Carilion is the largest hospital in a 2-3 hour radius in all directions which means that you will be able to manage a variety of unique conditions, from snake bites to sepsis, starting in your intern year. The program has many wonderful, supportive doctors who are committed to working with residents. Carilion Children's is by no means cut-throat and was the right pace for me. 
There are also parts about the quality of life living in Roanoke that I miss. Cost of living is extremely low, and there are many opportunities in Roanoke during your free time, from hiking the many local trails, enjoying great restaurants (River and Rail was my favorite), breweries, wineries, and shopping. The fact that many residents in the program have stayed in the area after graduation is a testament to this. 

I am so glad that I chose to complete pediatric residency at VTC. I was part of the second class of residents at the program. The faculty were all so wonderful about taking the residents’ suggestions into consideration in order to build a strong program. Our small number of residents allowed us to each have a voice in shaping our training. Being in such a small program without fellows also allowed us significant autonomy. I remember one faculty member who joined us halfway through our intern year remarking that he was not used to residents having such ownership in their patients and how impressed he was with our ability to develop plans on our own. We have wonderful subspecialists here, and our pediatric residents are challenged to develop treatment plans along with their consultants, rather than simply accepting recommendations without discussion.   
This ownership trained us to be well-rounded physicians. I now work as a Pediatric Hospitalist in a community hospital, where I am often the only pediatrician in-house. The program prepared me well to face anything I may encounter, from the routine well newborn to a 26-week premature baby requiring a full code at birth. I cannot express how grateful I am that my program gave me the opportunity to learn these skills first-hand.   
I would choose VTC again in an instant