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Why I Chose the Yale Pediatric Residency Program...

A few words from some of our residents

Catherine Harris, MD I chose Yale Pediatrics because I knew it was the perfect place for me to accomplish both my personal and professional goals at this stage in my training. Yale has many great educational opportunities, such as cutting edge research projects, fully funded international health electives, and stipends to attend major conferences. I felt confident that regardless of whether I specialized or went into general pediatrics, I would get great training at Yale. I was excited about the prospect... more from Catherine

Undergraduate: Texas A & M University, College Station, TX Medical School: Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Medicine, Shreveport, LA

Matthew C. Egalka, MD Having spent four years at Yale as a medical student, I was well-acquainted with the Pediatrics residency program by the time the residency application process began. Despite the multitude of excellent programs offering a wide variety of opportunities, my overwhelming first choice was to continue my training at Yale. A number of key factors contributed to this decision... more from Matthew

Undergraduate: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Medical School: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Mareen Thomas, MD I participated in two "matches" lately- one the match to Yale pediatrics, and the other a match to my husband! Couples-matching can be a life lesson in and of itself - an exercise in compromise and organization in an inherently intense period when the pursuit of a residency can really test the mettle of what ties you to your partner. Here at Yale any trepidation I had about the difficulty of being married to another intern was quickly squashed during my first conversation with the chiefs residents and residency director... more from Mareen

Undergraduate: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA Medical School: Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Ian Zenlea, MD I am sure that you expect me to say that I chose Yale Pediatrics because it is a prestigious program staffed by some of the most renowned experts in any pediatric subspecialty field. These experts could both ignite my desire and quench my thirst for knowledge. I could say I knew a residency at Yale would open numerous doors for fellowship opportunities. All of these reasons would be true, but the aforementioned were not quite at the top of my list. The reality is that each program has its own selling points... more from Ian

Undergraduate: University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Medical School: University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT

Katherine Yun, MD I chose Yale pediatrics because I wanted balance. The program is personally supportive but professionally rigorous. Academic research exists alongside dedicated community pediatric practices, which are equally invested in evidence-based medicine. On a personal level, I wanted a program large enough to offer the widest variety of primary and subspecialty pediatric care, but small enough to be largely resident — rather than fellow — driven. And most importantly... more from Katherine

Undergraduate: Harvard University, Boston, MA Medical School: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Sherene Mason, MD Oftentimes when faced with making decisions about various aspects of my life, I tend to involve the usual factors that most everyone employs. These I refer to as the “tangibles.” Relating to my decision-making for choosing a residency program these included the following: the number of pediatric beds, the quality of research, accomplishment of attendings, community advocacy programs, and location in an urban setting among others. Through my research and encounters on interview day, I discovered that the Yale Pediatric Residency Program definitely provided the “tangibles” that I sought and even more... more from Sherene

Undergraduate: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Medical School: University of Connecticut Medical School, Storrs, CT

Julie Gallombardo, MD I grew up in Southern New Jersey and began my residency search by looking at programs in the northeast, not far from my family. I visited seven or eight programs prior to visiting Yale, and at most of those programs, I knew I would receive excellent training in pediatrics. The difference at Yale was the people associated with the hospital and the sense of community that seemed to exist among them... more from Julie

Undergraduate: Georgetown University, Washington, DC Medical School: Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

Virginia Pierce, MD When you hit the residency program interview trail, you will probably find a number of institutions where you would get great training and leave feeling well-prepared for the next step in your career. What makes Yale Pediatrics a special place is the extraordinary group of people who choose to be here. Residency, wherever you do it, is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’ll have intense emotional experiences, times that you wish you had gotten a lot more sleep, and enough to learn that you may sometimes feel like you’re trying to drink from a fire hose... more from Virginia

Undergraduate: Brown University, Providence, RI Medical School: Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Robert Silge, MD My search for a residency program was not at all a simple one. My wife and I were coming from Texas and visited programs from Hawaii to Connecticut, trying to find a place where she could do a post- doctoral fellowship and I could find a program in pediatrics. She quickly learned that it was very difficult for me to vocalize the strengths and weaknesses of a given program after I had interviewed at it. They all seemed very similar, and really most programs are. There will be subtle differences in call schedules, PICU time, how many hospitals you work in, etc. but any given program will meet the same basic requirements, and will probably give you good basic training in pediatrics... more from Robert

Undergraduate: Texas A & M University, College Station, TX Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX