Letter from Co-Chief Resident Laurie Chalifoux, MD

When I was looking for a residency program 4 years ago, I had several priorities.  I wanted a strong clinical experience in an environment where I could grow and mature intellectually, personally and creatively. Additionally, I wanted to be surrounded by supportive, motivated people with similar goals. I have been pleased to find this and more during my years in the Northwestern Anesthesia program.

I will start with the obvious: Northwestern's excellence in clinical teaching. This should be the cornerstone of your decision process in picking a residency. After all, we want to be confident, skilled consultants in our chosen field after graduation. Thanks to Northwestern's location in a large city, our high case volume and multitude of specialties, you will leave this program ready to tackle almost anything!

Learning occurs in many venues.  Well organized morning conferences concentrate on concise topics which help in preparation for written boards. Mock oral exams give residents the chance to polish verbal skills in a safe yet challenging venue. Simulator sessions allow exploration of critical event management without putting "real" patients in danger. Most importantly, many of the Attendings here are eager to teach during daily cases.

In addition to providing clinical teaching in the OR and at lectures, Northwestern has a multitude of Anesthesiologists ready to mentor residents in our expanding research realm.  Almost every division has studies in the planning, recruiting, analyzing and presentation phase. Residents are encouraged to participate, and are rewarded with travel support to present their original work at regional and national conferences.

Although all these things are probably enough to sell this program, the best part of being a resident at Northwestern is the amazing people I work with. The residents here are some of the most talented, motivated, caring, and fun people I know!  As a chief resident, I have seen this year how quickly residents step up to help a colleague or friend.  Over the course of training, almost everyone will have a family or personal event which requires unexpected flexibility or time off. It is refreshing to be a part of a group where we are supported by the faculty and fellow residents in such times.   

Finally, Chicago is an amazing place to live. With all the stress of residency, it is important to have some options for your free time.  Living in Chicago, the entertainment options are nearly endless. Whether you are a shopper, foodie, musician, sports fan or outdoors enthusiast, you could not pick a better place to spend 4 years.  Most of us are quite social, so resident events are frequent- both planned formally through work or just casual get-togethers among friends.

I welcome you to get to know our fantastic program, residents, and city a bit better! 

Laurie Chalifoux, MD Chief Resident 2009-2010