Life Outside Residency

Retreat
Each year, our dedicated attendings take over the hospital and stay in-house so that our residents can take time for their annual retreat. The retreat is a 24-hour, off-campus excursion where residents get the opportunity to work and play together outside of the hospital. Last year, we spent the night at a Lake Geneva resort. We had team-building activities, where members of all three classes worked together to solve problems and attain common goals. We all gathered for a big dinner, followed by other activities and games. The next morning we all got a 15-minute massage at the spa! Many residents brought their significant others, spouses, and children. It was a calm, relaxing time to focus on getting to know one other, and getting to learn new strategies for working together.

Social Life
Our pediatric residents are a very close-knit group. In addition to working well with each other, and respecting each other as colleagues, our residents also genuinely like one another and have fun! Each class generally finds time to meet once a month for a social gathering, and we have several events throughout the year that are attended by all three classes, as well as fellows and attendings. Often, residents involve their own families in resident gatherings as well. The residents spend a lot of time together, both in and out of the hospital, and over the three years of residency, become part of each other’s families.