Letter from Co-Chief Resident Kristin Chenault, MD

Why Choose Northwestern?

When I was in your shoes and navigating the Match process, there were many attributes that I looked for in various programs.  But I’d like to share with you my “Big Three” and why Northwestern was the best fit for me. 

1.  Great clinical training: This probably seems obvious, and that’s because it is.  Residency is the time in your career to see as much pathology as possible, as many complications as possible, and perform anesthesia for as many big cases as possible.  With Northwestern being a tertiary care center, many of our patients are referred here from outlying hospitals.  Because of that, we take care of Chicagoland patients with some of the most complicated and complex pathology in the area.  Whether the patient has end stage liver disease from primary biliary cirrhosis and is presenting for liver transplant or a complex AVM in the brain which needs resection, as a resident you will be involved in their surgical care.  On your pediatrics rotation, you will care for premature infants who weigh less that 2 kilos.  You will care for patients with Treacher Collins syndrome who are known difficult airways.  In neurosurgery during craniotomy for aneurysm clipping, you will push adensosine to stop the heart so the surgeon may place clips.  How cool is that?  But what good are great cases if you don’t have an engaged and enthusiastic faculty to teach you?  Teaching in and out of the OR at our program has grown and improved even in the 2 years since I’ve started.  From the cardiac to neuro to OB to peds, an enthusiastic (and increasingly younger) faculty has revived the department.  These young faculty are committed to resident education and intraoperative teaching.  I can honestly say that I leave work everyday not just having done my job, but always learning something new from my attending.

2.  Great Residents: After interviewing at Northwestern, I knew that here was a group of residents who would be great to work with.  And I have not been disappointed.  In this program I have made some great friends and I am proud to call all of them my colleagues.  We work hard, and if you were at dinner last night, you know we play hard too!  I know that if I need to switch a call, there is someone who is willing to help.  If I have a question about our journal club questions, I can ask a fellow resident.  Just take a look around at lunch.  Look at how many residents are here.  Look at how we interact.  We all eat lunch together everyday.  Cheesy as that sounds, it builds relationships.  Whether we are complaining, venting, telling funny stories, or facebooking each other we are having fun.  Residency is demanding and although in anesthesia you will spend a significant amount of it alone in an operating room, you will spend a great amount of time with your co-residents.  Make sure you like them.  I do.

3.  Great city: It’s Chicago.  What more do I have to say?  You will work 2 blocks off of Michigan Avenue.  Steps away from some of the top restaurants in Chicago, including Tru (which is across the street).  Whether you want sushi, hot dogs, steak, or deep dish pizza, all of your culinary desires will be fulfilled in Chicago.  And not at chain restaurants!  And at any budget!  Cubs, Sox, Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Wildcats…whatever your sport, it’s here. You’ll need something fun to do when you’re not at the hospital and half the fun of living here is choosing from all the possibilities.

Best of luck in the Match process!
 

Kristin Chenault, MD Chief Resident 2009-2010