Resident Life

The Department of Pediatrics at KU Medical Center offers a relatively small program with a dedicated faculty within a large state academic institution. But there is life outside of residency, and there is plenty to do in a large midwestern city such as Kansas City. Here are just a few reasons to choose KU Pediatrics, in the words of our residents themselves:

The Residents
"Fellow residents are all very helpful and nice. Everyone is so willing to help and are always providing advice and support. You can always find someone to talk to, to share anything that is on your mind, or just for feedback on how you are doing. We have such a diverse group of residents that there is always something new to learn. And if you are ever struggling with anything or need help at any time, there is always someone available to step up and help at any time of the day or night."
-- Ambika Sohal

The City
"Kansas City is a great place not only to work as a resident but also to enjoy all that Kansas City has to offer. You have the multiple sports teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs and which make for fun afternoons with good friends and family. On the Plaza and the Power & Light District are just a couple highlights of the city that are good for shopping, entertainment, and restaurants to enjoy a nice dinner."
-- Katie Petelin

Parks And Nature
"Living in Kansas is pretty affordable especially if someone would have his/her family. Kansas has a set of charming lakes wonderful for picnics, gatherings, celebrating special occasions, walking as well as swimming, fishing, and boating for those who are interested in such kinds of sports. Those places are usually my targets on weekends as I enjoy listening to the sounds of nature, birds, and water for hours and hours for relaxation after the busy week of residency work! Nature is charming in Kansas City, I love it in spring and autumn." --  Rima Khasawneh

The Faculty
"The faculty can't be beat. The support they give is fantastic, and education they provide is top notch! They make themselves extremely available to us as residents and they take a deep interest in us. They want to see us grow and succeed, and they are willing to go out of their way to do so. They help us look for grants for our research projects, they give us numerous opportunities to be published from specialized journals to general newsletters for parents. Whether it is to mentor us professionally, or whether it is just to talk about "real life", they are there for us. Teacher, Mentor, Friend. The faculty here at KU Peds do it all." -- Lase Ajayi

Clinical Experience
"I have really enjoyed both inpatient and outpatient experiences. The continuity clinic has a lot of great faculty who take time to answer questions and explore each patient with you. The inpatient setting has a lot of great teachers and senior residents who are supportive, but still challenge you to learn more. We have a good balance of inpatient/outpatient rotations, where you can really discover what area you would like to pursue. The patient population is very diverse, and I am learning so much from each patient I see." -- Emily Bush

Family Activities
"They have good water parks, they have a new Schlitterbahn, a new water park out by Legends mall. Between the zoo, water park, and amusement parks, there's a lot of fun family activity. And there's a lot of good dog parks. The best dog park around is Shawnee Mission Park, a huge park with a lake, but the dog park itself is huge and fenced in. You go there on a Saturday there'll be 40 or 50 dogs running around, the dogs are off leash - good time, and the kids all love it." 
-- Tony Guariglia

Community Service
"I love the flexibility of the program. It really allows residents to get involved with activities outside of residency. We have residents who are involved at the national level with the American Academy of Pediatrics. We have residents who work with various foundations around Kansas City. We have residents involved with their church groups. And all of our experience allows for a well-rounded lifestyle during residency. I work with the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City with their 360 Degrees of Giving group and I am very involved in Kansas City's political activities and I enjoy bringing my medical experience and knowledge into other aspects of my life." -- Thuylinh Pham

Program Size
"You get a unique opportunity at KU to be in a large urban area working in a referral center that is also a small pediatric program. This has allowed me to kind of experience the best of both worlds. I feel prepared to handle common pediatric problems, but also feel like I have gotten exposure to many things that are a once in a career opportunity. The size of the program allows for a great work-life balance, while also creating a close-knit feel not only with the residents, but with faculty as well. In addition, we have the opportunity to work one on one with our faculty which allows for great and personalized learning experiences." -- Ashley Campbell