Program Director’s Welcome

Welcome to the University of Chicago’s Pediatric Residency Program. As Program Director, Vice Chair of Education, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics—and a proud, lifelong member of the University of Chicago community—I invite you to explore our rigorous training program with its deep commitment to serving our community, embedded within a world-class institution. Here at the University of Chicago Pediatric Training Program, you’ll experience an unparalleled education that mirrors the university’s legendary tradition of intellectual rigor and scholarly excellence.

Our program is designed to challenge and inspire you as you encounter a wide variety of complex cases while caring for our diverse, at-risk, and underserved Chicago patient population, and beyond. This rich clinical experience, combined with mentorship from highly skilled faculty and collaboration with outstanding co-residents, will develop your critical thinking, clinical autonomy, and commitment to scholarship—all rooted in UChicago’s legacy of discovery and pursuit of knowledge without boundaries.

Located at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital—a quaternary care center just one block from the main campus—you’ll be immersed in an environment where rigorous inquiry shapes every aspect of patient care. Our proximity to the university’s renowned research enterprise and academic culture has fostered a program where residents embrace complex cases, challenge conventional thinking, and continuously push the frontiers of pediatric medicine through evidence-based practice and innovative research integration.

Most importantly, you’ll join a close-knit community of future physicians dedicated to helping you reach your highest potential as we work together to advance pediatric medicine and improve the lives and health of our patients. This is more than training—it’s preparation for a lifetime of discovery and service.

Nicola (Nikki) Orlov, MD, MPH