Chief residents

The chief residents at Children's Memorial Hospital are dedicated solely to the education of residents and to the advancement of the program. They make time to help out with medical decision making on the wards, and also produce a weekly newsletter entitled “Take Five” which summarizes educational highlights from the week prior. Chief residents are first and foremost advocates for the residents and serve as their primary system of personal support and professional guidance.

Kevin Carney, MD

• Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
• Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
• Med School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Career Plans: Pediatric Emergency Medicine

In searching for the perfect pediatric residency coming out of medical school, my goals were to spend three years in a program that had a combination of general pediatric training along with exposure to all pediatric subspecialties, a stand-alone children's hospital, and residents who understand the balance of working hard and enjoying life outside of the hospital. I found this perfect program at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  After three wonderful years in this residency program, I can say how truly lucky I am to have been a part of it and cannot imagine receiving better training anywhere. As Chief Resident this year, I am now in the unique position to help futher develop the program and teach and interact on a daily basis with some of the best pediatric residents in the country. The care they provide their patients is outstanding and the support of their fellow residents is amazing. Children's Memorial Hospital truly is a special place.

Kate Connor, MD

• Hometown:  Gaithersburg, MD

• Undergrad:  University of Pennsylvania

• Medical School:  University of Maryland School of Medicine

• Career Plans:  General Academic Pediatrics

I was a lifelong east coaster before coming to Chicago to do my pediatric residency at Children's Memorial, but after sitting through morning report during my interview day I was hooked! Morning report is just one example of the amazingly collegial learning environment that Children's Memorial fosters. The faculty here are very invested in resident education and truly treat residents as colleagues - which makes learning from them not only easy, but also a lot of fun! With their support, and the opportunity to participate in the care of patients with a diversity of problems and acuity at a world class medical center, I feel very well prepared for pediatric practice. All of that said, the best asset of the residency program at Children's Memorial is the residents! They are intelligent, compassionate, enthusiastic, and have a great time together, both in and out of the hospital. It is an honor to have my classmates as colleagues, but also as lifelong friends.  Like Children's, Chicago is an easy place to love. From great restaurants, to street and neighborhood festivals, to the beautiful lakefront, it is a terrific place to live. Definitely worth the move from the east coast!

Paul Veldhouse, MD

• Hometown:  Sioux Falls, SD

• Undergrad:  Calvin College

• Medical School:  University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

• Career Plans:  General Pediatrics

To paraphrase my favorite band Journey says, I was “just a small town boy, growing up in South Dakota” (OK, not exactly). Really, though, I came from a small program and was looking for a large, respected program in a major city. When I came and visited Children’s Memorial, I was struck by the camaraderie between the residents and the drive for education. The style of morning report was a huge draw for me. It has continued to be one of my favorite things about the program throughout my residency. Between that and the fact that my co-residents are now some of my best friends, Children’s proved to be a great program for me. When I started my residency, I had a wife and a young child. I was a little worried that Chicago would be a hard place for my little family, but the opposite has proven to be true. My now 3 year old now asks for things like “Millenial Park”, the “Link Zoo” and “that museum with the trains”. We love it here, and we often “stay-cation” in the city.