General Pediatrics Residency
Training The Next Generation of Leading Pediatricians And Pediatric Researchers
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Pediatric Residency
Preparing residents to become knowledgeable, caring and effective pediatricians is not just a goal. It's something we make happen each and every year at Nationwide Children's Hospital: home to the Pediatric Residency Program.
Our pediatric residency program (NRMP #1351320C0) is committed to providing the trainee with the comprehensive knowledge base and skills required of pediatricians. This commitment has helped us become one of America's finest health care facilities for children. Our unique mix of patient care opportunities and educational activities help prepare our residents to pursue any type of pediatric career they desire.
What You Need to Know
Why Nationwide Children's?
As one of the five largest pediatric hospitals in the nation, Nationwide Children's Hospital logs more than 700,000 patient visits every year from all 50 states and 22 nations worldwide. It has one of the country's largest pediatric ambulatory networks and operates the second busiest Emergency Department in the country. It is also one of the nation's top ten freestanding children's hospitals in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
The pediatric faculty members at Nationwide Children's Hospital are strongly committed to the education of our resident physicians. Faculty members are committed to resident education and a variety of academic pursuits. Residents also benefit from the large number of community pediatricians who are part of our faculty and play an integral role in our teaching mission.
Upon successful completion of the program, residents have met the training requirements for general pediatrics certification by the American Board of Pediatrics.
Download the Pediatric Residency Training Program Brochure
VIDEO: Look Inside Our Residency Program
Mission, Vision and Values
Mission: To foster the personal and professional growth of the next generation of diverse pediatricians, leading the field through clinical excellence and individualized academic development, in a dynamic, collegial educational setting.
Vision: Achieving Success in Pediatrics through Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE)
Values:
Letters from Our Leaders
We are so glad you are interested in our General Pediatrics Residency program! Hear from our leaders, including our Pediatrics Chair, Program Director, and 2023-2024 Chief Residents!
“While our program is large, you will be nurtured by a culture of collegiality, listening, feedback, flexibility and fun – even as you are challenged to achieve your full potential. As one of the best residency training environments in the United States, your unique talents, energy and creativity will thrive at Nationwide Children’s Hospital... We are confident completing a residency at Nationwide Children’s will position you to be a child health care leader of tomorrow.”
Catherine Krawczeski, MD
Chair Department of Pediatrics Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine
“We provide myriad clinical experiences, innovative educational opportunities, and the ability to learn alongside world-class trainees and faculty. We are here to help you develop your passion and prepare you to pursue any type of pediatric career you desire... The people are the heart and soul of our program and it is truly a privilege to be part of such an amazing team.”
Rebecca Wallihan, MD
Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
“At Nationwide Children’s, we care about what happens during your time with us, both inside and outside of the hospital...We each found our way into this role as chief resident for different reasons, but we share a common feeling of having found a program that supported us and all that came along the way as we trained to become pediatricians. If you are looking to spend your next several years somewhere that can provide top-tier medical exposure and the support for whatever life throws your way, we are confident that you have landed in a great place.”
Our 2023-2024 Chief Residents
Program Leadership
Rebecca Wallihan, MD (she/her/hers)
Program Director
Specialty: Pediatric Infectious Disease
Kristin Crichton, DO (she/her/hers)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Child Abuse Pediatrics
Christopher Jones, DO (he/him/his)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Interests: Academic medical education, simulation, interprofessional communication, resident assessment
Rena Kasick, MD (she/her/hers)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Hospital Medicine
Mary Kay Kuzma, MD (she/her/hers)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Primary Care Pediatrics
Alexander Rakowsky, MD (he/him/his)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Primary Care Pediatrics
Interests: Developing literacy skills in children, immigrant health, advocacy related to food insecurity and evidence-based medicine
Suzanne Reed, MD (she/her/hers)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Pediatric Oncology
Interests: Leukemia, medical education
Claire Stewart, MD (she/her/hers)
Associate Program Director
Specialty: Critical Care
Interests: Medical education, simulation
Resident Education
The diversity and volume of our patient population gives you hands-on experience during each rotation. Our residents provide frontline patient care under the supervision of outstanding faculty. Residents write more than 90 percent of inpatient orders at Nationwide Children’s and are relied on for their leadership, commitment and solid professional judgment. Each resident has multiple elective months to pursue clinical, research or other interests.
From inpatient teams organized by specialty and special interest groups to workshops and research opportunities, our program offers residents a wide variety of educational experiences.
- Read More About Resident Education
- Learn More About the Resident Experience
- Learn More About Research Opportunities
Learn more about the opportunities that make our residency program unique:
“As a new intern at Nationwide Children's Hospital, I have been amazed by how supportive, approachable, kind, and intelligent my co-interns, senior residents, and faculty have been. The upper level residents are the kind of people and physicians I aspire to be. I look forward to going to work every day.”
April Consevage, MD
“The attending and fellow interactions are one of my favorite things about the program. I was nervous initially that the large size of our program would limit getting to learn directly, while also developing relationships with my supervising physicians. Intern year has taught me just how incorrect that worry was. Our teaching staff is here because they enjoy teaching and love interacting with residents. Attendings and fellows are always willing to not only teach but get to know you personally. Our culture as a residency, truly is a family mentality. When life happens, co-residents don't hesitate to help out where they can, whether it is covering a shift so you can attend a funeral or wedding or walking your dog because you had to stay late in clinic. Everyone has each other's back and really cares.”
Megan Barcroft, DO
“The best part of the residency program for me is that they treat me like a “human being.” Wellness is not just a buzzword, and our needs as doctors, learners, and people are taken seriously to constantly improve the residency program and give us the best experience possible. One of the coolest things about working at Nationwide Children's is that they take community outreach seriously. It is great to see a hospital that actively invests in the community (through things like the Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative) and shows us a successful model of public health interventions that can benefit our patients.”
Nimisha Bajaj, MD, PhD
Programs and Tracks
If you are interested in our other pediatric programs/tracks, please visit the following:
Schedule Overview
Residency training at Nationwide Children's Hospital is fast-paced, high-tech and challenging. And yet, we are proud that our program still stays focused on the resident as a whole person, with social and psychological needs.
Preview a Day in the Life of a Nationwide Children’s Resident
Our faculty value and respect our residents and their contributions. Your autonomy in medical decision-making will be balanced with caring supervision. The Integrated Specialty rotations include both inpatient and outpatient services. On average, 40% of our residents choose primary care careers, and 60% go on to fellowships at some of the nation’s most competitive programs.
3-Year Rotation Breakdown
PL1: Blocks are split up into 2-week blocks
| Rotation | Night Float | Ward Rotations | Dev/Beh Peds | ED | Primary Care* | Newborn Medicine* | OSU NICU | Elective* | Advocacy | Ambulatory |
| # Blocks | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
PL2: Blocks are split up into 4-week blocks
| Rotation | Night Float | Ward Rotations | PECS | ED/Flex | Primary Care | PICU | OSU NICU | Elective* |
| # Blocks | 2 two-week blocks | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
PL3: Blocks are split up into 4-week blocks
| Rotation | Night Float | Ward Rotations | ED/Flex | Primary Care | PICU | Adolescent Medicine | Elective* | Survery/Sports Med |
| # Blocks | 2 two-week blocks | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Duty hours meet the recommended standards of the ACGME. 3 weeks of vacation/year (plus 6 days holiday break), *eligible during specific rotations.
Diversity and Inclusion
Health equity, diversity and inclusion are central to the mission of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and our Pediatric Residency Program. We are committed to recruitment of diverse residents, education of current residents, and cultivation of an inclusive and supportive environment.
Learn More About the RDIC and Their Efforts ›
An Initiative to Increase Residency Program Diversity ›
Diverse Community Experience
Columbus is a diverse community and so are our patients. Columbus, the 14th largest city in the U.S. and Ohio’s capital city, boasts an increasingly diverse population that includes African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Somalians. Our Somalian community is the second largest in the United States and the number of Hispanics in the Columbus metropolitan area has doubled between the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census.
Nationwide Children’s has made a commitment to shape our environment to acknowledge, understand and celebrate the diversity of our patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians. Nationwide Children’s acknowledges and celebrates the diversity of the community we serve. The hospital also is committed to provide a workplace where each person is respected and supported. A number of educational sessions for physicians and staff help everyone understand the varied patient population we serve.
Residents, Graduates & Faculty
Nationwide Children's Hospital takes pride in the wonderful collegial relationships among its program directors, residents and graduates.
- Meet our directors and residents
- View residents’ medical schools
- View graduates’ fellowship training
- View graduates’ private practice and hospital staff destinations
- VIDEO: Learn more about our faculty
Match Day 2024
We’ve wrapped up recruitment season and are excited to share the results of another successful match for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Residency Programs. This summer we will have 57 new residents joining us: 42 Pediatric, 10 Internal Medicine-Pediatrics and 5 Child Neurology. We are highly impressed by the caliber of the new physicians who will begin training with us this July.
We look forward to welcoming them to the Nationwide Children's family and guiding them on the path to becoming the next generation of pediatrician leaders.
View Match Day Results View Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Results
Salary and Benefits
Nationwide Children's Residency Program values a resident's work life and personal time.
Explore the wellness initiatives for Nationwide Children’s residents
Salaries for 2023-2024 pediatric residents are:
- PL-1: $66,133.18
- PL-2: $68,044.91
- PL-3: $69,859.07
- PL-4: $72,637.87
- PL-5: $75,517.35
- PL-6: $77,743.51
- PL-7: $81,535.82
- PL-8: $84,869.47
How to Apply
Please submit your application through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email stating the status of your application.
The application materials below must be submitted through ERAS:
- CAF (common application form)
- CV
- Three recommendation letters (chairman's letter is optional)
- Dean's letter
- Medical school transcripts
- USMLE or COMLEX transcripts (STEP 2 scores must be received by Feb. 10)
- Personal statement
How to Arrange an Interview
After your application materials have been reviewed, you will receive an email from the program with the status of your application. If invited for an interview, you will select your interview date through the ERAS Scheduler. We are conducting virtual interviews during the 2023-24 application season which will be held from October 2023 through January 2024.
What to Expect During the Course of the Interview Day
- Evening before interview Zoom get together with current residents
- Group Q&A with the program director
- Chat/Q&A with current residents
- (3) 20-min interviews
- Farewell from program leadership
International Graduates Policy for Pediatrics
Our residency program only sponsors J1 visas. Exceptions to this visa requirement must be approved by the Designated Institutional Official, the Program Director, and the Senior Vice President - Human Resources in advance of the match and/or letter of offer. In addition, all applicants must be eligible to participate in the National Residency Match Program.
For any other questions, please contact:
Justin King
Program Coordinator
(614) 722-6112
Justin.King@NationwideChildrens.org
